It was going so well, but that's a bit of a collapse, unfortunately. 5-7

Ouch ouch ouch

PaulM wrote:

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Ouch ouch ouch

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Indeed. I just knew she had served for it at *5-3 but not that it was 5-0* !

From the momentum graph the 5-4* game looks the killer. Back on serve it was a 16 point game in which Smitkova served 3 DFs and Katie had 3 MPs. Then she won just 2 points in the final 2 games.

For good or bad I kind of suspect no sort of injury issue but just a huge swing. But of course I don't know. 

This time last year I'd have currently been on the train down to Leeds, ready for a full Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Ilkley. If I was going this year then I'd have been even more disappointed with that result, considering the position she was in, as I'd have assumed I'd have at least got to see Katie in the quarter final on the Friday. I think a final would probably have been a bit unrealistic (from JonH's POV), but a couple extra wins would have been nice.

Every single one of the promising teens I was mentioning the other day went out in the first round as well (Xiyu, Kostyuk, Li, Osuigwe and Danilovic), so I wouldn't have been best pleased with that either, but there are still a few big names who will be chasing a lucrative MDWC - Babos and Niculsecu in particular, and then Blinkova reached the 3rd round in Paris, Smitkova is of course the defending champion and will (unfortunately) be chasing back to back titles (and MDWCs), and Haddad Maia would be a nice story if she were to win as she has had a very tough time with injuries recently and is (IMO) a much better player than her current ranking - she's just taken the first set against Rybarikova, but still a lot of work to do.

JonH wrote:

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I wondered if anyone knows, the doubles semis are today (Rodionova and Perez are into the final from one of the matches) - is this final likely to be played on Saturday or Sunday does anyone know? With semis today, I presume Saturday but...

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I've not seen a schedule, but I'm pretty sure it will be Saturday. Last year you had both men's semi finals on Centre Court on the Saturday, followed by the 2 doubles finals and then the 2 women's semi finals on their dedicated court, and the Sunday was both singles finals back to back, so I'd imagine it would be the same this year, especially as both women's doubles semi finals are today.

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Friday 21st of June 2019 01:29:02 PM

Babos v niculescu in final, should be good , looking forward to that

Ace Ventura wrote:

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Yes Jon, I was watching with interest to see how this would have unfolded from the QF onwards, and while I'm not really a huge fan of Niculescu or her game, this was definitely the best potential final on paper IMO.

You can say exactly the same to your dad about Babos as you were initially hoping to do with Mladenovic and they are both grand slam singles stalwarts - Babos has played in every grand slam singles main draw since the 2014 French Open (20 in a row), and Monica has only missed 2 slams since the FO 2010 (the last 2 FOs through injury), but the loser will be in big danger of missing on on Wimbledon so it's a huge match for both. Basically one will be straight on a train down to Roehampton, while the other can put their feet up.

I hope Babos takes it.

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 Thanks Ace. They've actually played 5 times before,  niculescu has a 3-2 advantage including eastbourne in 2015,  but babos has won the last 2 , although 2016 was the last time. 

4 of the 5 have been straight sets. Should be fascinating.