Week 19 - WTA Premier Mandatory ($7M) - Madrid, Spain - Clay

JonH · All-time great

RE: Week 19 - WTA Premier Mandatory ($7M) - Madrid, Spain - Clay

RedSquirrel · Satellite level

I'm not sure if any Top 20 WCs have been announced yet, but if not, Jo could ask for one of them if there are no further withdrawals.

indiana · Tennis legend

JonH wrote:
ROSAMUND wrote:
Michael D wrote:
With this being the final result. Time for rest and recovery now before going again next week.

R32: KONTA, Johanna (GBR) 41 lost to HALEP, Simona (ROU) 3 CH=1 2017 5-7 1-6
Yes Jo finished up playing 7 singles on clay in the last 8 days. Could not have foreseen that 8 days ago. Re next week unless something has changed then she is only in qualifying in Rome. I think because of this weeks rankings then Maria Sakkari would now be the 1st alternate. Admittedly Caroline Wozniacki hardly looked fit to play in Madrid and Camila Giorgi has got some wrist problem. At the moment Serena Williams looks like she's on the celebrity circuit. Looking out for somebody else who might not be fit.
Hi - no jo is still first alt as it is based on date entry list created.

Yes, Jo was original 2nd MD alt behind Kuzmova.

Kuzmova replaced Sharapova, upping Jo to 1st alt.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

twitter.com/WTAEntryList/status/1125857711990693896

Andreescu out so Jo in the main draw.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Sorry that Andreescu is injured but glad Jo doesn't have to qualify.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Wow. Halep 6-0 5-0 up against no mug and Kuzmova has only won 10 points in the 11 games. Still time of course to do a Tara wink , but that looks some beatdown. Bertens isn't doing too badly either.

Well that's a bit scary heading into RG - double bagel and only dropped a point per game on average. Didn't see any of it, so no idea if Kuzmova was just reckless or slightly injured, but an ominous looking scoreline following on from her 2nd set yesterday.

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Wednesday 8th of May 2019 11:06:20 AM

Grachka · County player

I managed to see Jo playing her first round vs Riske as I was at the Madrid tournament - and was very pleasantly surprised by how comfortable she looked on clay. She was controlling it from the start.

Apologies for the 19th Century quality to my smartphone pics...

Michael D · All-time great

Thanks Grachka, good to see, and the quality is fine! Happy you could see Jo play there!!

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Yes, nice pics, give a good flavour of the occasion. How lucky to be there.

Jan · Hall of fame

Thanks for the photos!

indiana · Tennis legend

Kiki Bertens wins the final 6-4 6-4 vs Simona Halep.

Trading last year's RU for this year's title, Bertens will be up 3 places to a CH of WR 4.

Halep is up 1 to WR 2 but missed out on getting back to WR 1 and now has a Rome RU and French Open title to defend while Osaka has relatively little to defend until the US Open.

Status Quo · Intermediate Club Player

Bertens fabulous transformation of work ethic and application over the last five years have turned her from the Laura Robson we had into the Laura Robson of our dreams.

I always enjoy when a player the tennis cognoscenti write of entirely early in their career, for one reason or another, comes good (much like the heights to which Johanna climbed).
What a super story for Dutch tennis, and inspiration for all the other ladies similarly written-off and derided.

JonH · All-time great

Gotta love the Dutch!

flamingowings · All-time great

Has Bertens had career ending injuries like Laura has? I don't think that is a very fair comparison if the answer to the question is no.
Laura did a lot in her career before injury. It's not lack of work ethic but lack of healthy body in Laura's case or was anyway.

JonH · All-time great

Status Quo wrote:
Bertens fabulous transformation of work ethic and application over the last five years have turned her from the Laura Robson we had into the Laura Robson of our dreams.

I always enjoy when a player the tennis cognoscenti write of entirely early in their career, for one reason or another, comes good (much like the heights to which Johanna climbed).
What a super story for Dutch tennis, and inspiration for all the other ladies similarly written-off and derided.

Hey, 1025pm on BBC 4, status quo live and acoustic from the Roundhouse London. Fab !