Week 15 - ITF (W25) - Sunderland, GB - Hard Indoor

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

RE: Week 15 - ITF (W25) - Sunderland, GB - Hard Indoor

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Esther out 1-6 2-6. The first 2 games in that second set lasted for about 25 mins, so she was competing well, despite the scoreline. Doesn't really get much credit for that superb win earlier, but it will be a name that I look at differently to some of the others, so she at least gets that, haha. ;)

Too many DFs - 22 across 4 and a bit sets and the opponent being rested would likely have been a factor, but she can certainly hold her head up high.

K Pitak in a right battle, she has broken back, but is facing a BP here. *3-3 (40-A). Freya/Sam and Emily on serve.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

K Pitak keeps breaking back *5-5.
Freya *2-3 (vs Sam)
Wow, Emily has just broken *4-2

Edit - I was watching a little bit of the Pitak match and it was 4-5 40-0*, the opponent saved 2 BPs and then it looked like she hit a DF, so the score actually changed on the stream to 5-5 and there's me writing about it on here, just switched it back and it was 4-5 40-A*, so there must have been some confusion, anyway, the opponent won the next point to unfortunately take the set 4-6. What a shame.

And in the meantime, Freya has just been broken (2-4*) and Emily has lost her break (4-3*), so that's not been the best minute or so.

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Monday 8th of April 2019 06:54:39 PM

jb288 · Satellite level

Gosh Freya is frustrating to watch here...you feel like all Sam has to do is get it back and the error will come.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Ace Ventura wrote:
Order of play out for tomorrow.

Ella, Maia and Tara playing tomorrow with the other 5 + qualifiers playing on the Wednesday. Looks like they've purposefully given Jodie an extra day off.

Qualifiers get a rest in singles, but they shouldn't have to play twice in one day....

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

There's been some good signs throughout and some excellent results, but on a whole in terms of qualifiers, it's largely been forgettable. We were guaranteed 2 going through and it looks like that's what we will end up with, and from my POV, even that looks like going the wrong way in the Freya-Sam match.

K Pitak 4-6 1-4*
Emily 5-7 *0-2, from *4-2.
Freya 3-6 1-2*

Holly was a MTB away from guaranteeing an all GB match with K Pitak

A Pitak pushed Noel really close (2 tight sets) to try and guarantee that all GB match with Emily M

Esther did the hard work in beating the 2nd seed, but couldn't back that up against an unseeded player later

As I say, some great wins for Emily, K Pitak and particularly Esther, and even some leads in these FQRs with Emily surprisingly going 4-2 up, so to not get one extra going through is a little bit disappointing although obviously it would have been an unexpected bonus at the start of play to get someone else through outside of the guaranteed 2.

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Monday 8th of April 2019 07:30:49 PM

Michael D · All-time great

Ace Ventura wrote:
Holly was a MTB away from guaranteeing an all GB match with K Pitak
A Pitak pushed Noel really close (2 tight sets) to try and guarantee that all GB match with Emily M
Esther did the hard work in beating the 2nd seed, but couldn't back that up against an unseeded player later

As I say, some great wins for Emily, K Pitak and particularly Esther, and even some leads in these FQRs with Emily surprisingly going 4-2 up, so to not get one extra going through is a little bit disappointing although obviously it would have been an unexpected bonus at the start of play to get someone else through outside of the guaranteed 2.

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Monday 8th of April 2019 07:30:49 PM

I think it's part of the problem of having to play two q matches in one day. Motivated home players come out in the morning full of energy and with the adrenaline flowing and pull off great results.... But the problem is having to do that all again 2 hours or so later. It's hard to get all psyched up again quite so soon. For the foreign higher seeded players, it's probably easier to keep going at a more even pace, so in the late afternoon second session they are at a decided advantage against the less experienced Brit players who've caused upsets in the morning/ early afternoon...

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Disappointing 2nd sets:

Freya 3-6 2-6 - good for Sam though and perhaps she deserved it for pushing Paar close last week in the MTB, but not good signs at all for Freya. Pretty concerning actually
Pitak 4-6 1-6 - so from looking like she had it back to 5-5, lost 7 of the next 8 games. No real surprise mind.
E Morton 5-7 2-6 - again, no surprise the way it went, but a bit of a shame to lose 11 of the last 14 games considering the position she had in set 1.

So, it's Laura and Sam joining the 4 MDWCs and the other 4 in the main draw. Would like to see Sam vs Naomi tbh, to give one a main draw win and to also guarantee someone in the QF. Laura vs the person Vic thrashed last week would be nice.

Only 1 Q match to complete and then the placing should be out.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Michael D wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:
Holly was a MTB away from guaranteeing an all GB match with K Pitak
A Pitak pushed Noel really close (2 tight sets) to try and guarantee that all GB match with Emily M
Esther did the hard work in beating the 2nd seed, but couldn't back that up against an unseeded player later

As I say, some great wins for Emily, K Pitak and particularly Esther, and even some leads in these FQRs with Emily surprisingly going 4-2 up, so to not get one extra going through is a little bit disappointing although obviously it would have been an unexpected bonus at the start of play to get someone else through outside of the guaranteed 2.

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Monday 8th of April 2019 07:30:49 PM
I think it's part of the problem of having to play two q matches in one day. Motivated home players come out in the morning full of energy and with the adrenaline flowing and pull off great results.... But the problem is having to do that all again 2 hours or so later. It's hard to get all psyched up again quite so soon. For the foreign higher seeded players, it's probably easier to keep going at a more even pace, so in the late afternoon second session they are at a decided advantage against the less experienced Brit players who've caused upsets in the morning/ early afternoon...

Yep, could well be some truth in that. Just a shame they effectively get no credit for that 1 great win. It will probably be noted by the higher powers though, so could set them well for future events in the WC stakes, especially Esther.

Still, 10 in the main draw is decent and pleased that Maia and Jodie are there, although obviously a shame effectively replacing Emma with Rajecki (from what most of us were expecting anyway).

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

So, for the second successive week, the women's play ends late with an epic MTB - this time one of the Morderger twins beating Hsieh's sister 17-15 to seal her place in the draw.

Placings should follow shortly.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Qualifiers placed:

(1) Dart vs (Q) Molinaro - Tough opponent
(6) Broady vs (Q) Noel - Rematch, lol
(WC) Allen vs (Q) Armitano - Esthers conqueror
(Q) Robson vs (IR) Hartano - I'll do some digging, but unranked WTA-wise, so could be OK.
(Q) Murray vs (Q) Paar - Tough. Rematch from last week

So they could have been better generally.

indiana · Tennis legend

Certainly some decent performances but a tad disappointing to ultimately end with just the guaranteed 2 qualifiers and 10 in all in the main draw.

Any specific others may have been unexpected but I don't think it unreasonable to have hopes collectively of one or two more. Arguably expectation of say at least one more.

But anyway onwards to the main draw and with hopes for another good week.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Hartono should probably be fine for Laura. Doesn't look like she's played since September and it's largely been at the 15k level. Quite a lot of winning at the lower level, but lost to the likes of Minnen, Bondar etc. Don't think Laura can complain, although it's potentially Dart in R2. Still, for Laura to come through quals (tick) and potentially win a match in the main draw will be progress.

the addict · Tennis legend

Some potentially interesting second round matches in the draw as well, but let's not count our chickens ...........

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
Certainly some decent performances but a tad disappointing to ultimately end with just the guaranteed 2 qualifiers and 10 in all in the main draw.

Any specific others may have been unexpected but I don't think it unreasonable to have hopes collectively of one or two more. Arguably expectation of say at least one more.

But anyway onwards to the main draw and with hopes for another good week.

That is indeed true, because we do only get 7 or 8 of these 25k home events a year and we'll be at least half way through them now (obviously grass to come as well), so would have been nice to have had one or two upsetting the odds and making a bit more of an impact, especially as we were twice a win away from another guaranteed qualifier. and one of our players beat Q2 and Q3 pulled out so there were openings, but unfortunately not to be.