Week 30 - ITF (W25) - Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain - Hard

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Week 30 - ITF (W25) - Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain - Hard

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Ola gets the IR which could be due to play Sam in R2, if they both win of course. Garland has drawn the top seed Bucsa, unlucky for her.

It's Barbara Bonic who is the IR. I'd never heard of her, but just having a quick look at her recent results, and while it's hard to gauge the level, it didn't seem that spectacular, and then saw that they actually met in Egypt last October with Bonic winning 6-4 7-6, so probably be a tight match, but I guess Ola being 10 months older will be more to her advantage than a 27 year old. Definitely rather have her match than Joanna's, and about as good as could be hoped at W25 level that isn't a WC.

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Tuesday 23rd of July 2019 12:53:23 PM

Michael D · All-time great

Qualifiers have been placed now. Ola gets an ITF entrant so not too bad. Joanna Garland gets the top seed, Cristina Bucsa... Winners of Sam's and Ola's matches will play each other in R16.

R32: Samantha MURRAY (GBR) [3] 320 vs Ioana Loredana ROSCA (ROU) 486 (CH:427 Feb 17)
R32: Aleksandra PITAK (GBR) [Q] UNR/378 vs Barbara BONIC (SRB) [IR] UNR/175 (CH:342 March 14)

Edit: At least I have the draws as additional info to Ace wink

-- Edited by Michael D on Tuesday 23rd of July 2019 12:49:54 PM

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Michael D wrote:
Qualifiers have been placed now. Ola gets an ITF entrant so not too bad. Joanna Garland gets the top seed, Cristina Bucsa... Winners of Sam's and Ola's matches will play each other in R16.

R32: Samantha MURRAY (GBR) [3] 320 vs Ioana Loredana ROSCA (ROU) 486 (CH:427 Feb 17)
R32: Aleksandra PITAK (GBR) [Q] UNR/378 vs Barbara BONIC (SRB) [IR] UNR/175 (CH:342 March 14)
Edit: At least I have the draws as additional info to Ace

-- Edited by Michael D on Tuesday 23rd of July 2019 12:49:54 PM

Yes, easy to simultaneously cross paths, but the rankings and career highs is always useful info to gauge, and the names comes in handy too - better than 'the IR' before I edited it, ha.

Michael D · All-time great

Coup Droit wrote:
Michael D wrote:
Coup Droit wrote:
Not a great result for Kasia, losing easily to a girl born 2004, even though she has a very good national ranking.

Just as a sign of the French system, though, Karen has played 74 high level competitive matches in the last 9 months. I wonder how many Kasia has played......
37 in the last 12 months at ITF level. The Pitaks haven't played much British Tour I don't think.
Does 37 include doubles? I was only doing singles.
And, no, I haven't seen their names on the British Tour sites either, it's obviously not really their thing (they didn't do juniors at all either)

Singles only. Both Pitaks played a lot at Sharm end of last year. This calendar year, she's only played 11 singles matches including this mornings. There haven't been recent tournaments at Sharm, I'm assuming partly for security reasons, but it's also mid-summer and bloody hot there. I see there are tournaments scheduled to start there again from later Sept.

Michael D · All-time great

In the doubles R16, after a very tight first set when the Pitak sisters kept Sam and Cristina Bucsa at bay until the TB, the more experienced pair (at least as players, if not as a pair), ran away with the second set.

In the first set there was not a single break of serve, but in the TB, Sam and Cristina ran away with it 7-0, and then the second set with the loss of only one game. So top seeds win 7-6(0) 6-1

Michael D · All-time great

Sam now playing her singles match, and in a bit of a surprise has lost the first set 6-7(5)

A very mixed bag during the set. Was 3-1 up, then 3-5 down. She recovered the break to get into the TB but was always behind in that.

Michael D · All-time great

Well extremely disappointing from Sam then. After a close 2nd set went to another TB, she was 6-3 up in it but conceded all three SPs, then also failed to win another two SPs, so 5 in all, after which her opponent now had her turn and won on her 3rd MP. So Sam loses first round in a tournament she would have hoped to make a deep run 6-7(5) 6-7(10)

Michael D · All-time great

Ola Pitak has also lost her first set, but has gained an early break in the second 4-6 2-0*

Michael D · All-time great

Ola was 4-2 up in the 2nd set but then lost the last 4 games. Two disappointing results, as both could have won, Sam's result being the real upset of course.

R32: Samantha MURRAY (GBR) [3] 320 lost to Ioana Loredana ROSCA (ROU) 486 (CH:427 Feb 17) 6-7(5) 6-7(10)
R32: Aleksandra PITAK (GBR) [Q] UNR/378 lost to Barbara BONIC (SRB) [IR] UNR/175 (CH:342 March 14) 4-6 4-6

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Not directly relevant, and doesn't take disappointment away from those results, but Garland has made a storming start to her match against the top seed and home favourite Bucsa. She's *5-1 and has just had (and not converted) set point.

Long way to go in the tournament, and even a long way to go in that match, as she hasn't even got a set in the bag yet (and is still the betting underdog in her match), but if she can put out the top seed and go on to the final and secure an SE into Woking next week, that would be great for her. Ah, she's just been broken 5-2* - probably end up 5-7 3-6 or something after typing that out.

She's won the first set 6-2 (broke 3 times).

Edit - it was premature. She lost 2-6 6-3 6-3, so single's interest does end for all the British born players. Good effort though against someone just outside the top 200 and on the rise. She actually broke first at the start of the decider and hap 4 BPs (2 successive) at 3-5 to get it back on serve, but not to be, and likely Woking quals for her next. You can't help but feel it would more than likely be a MDWC if she had a different 3 letters next to her name.

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Wednesday 24th of July 2019 06:02:27 PM

Michael D · All-time great

In the doubles QF Sam and Cristina have beaten a WC pair of 18yr old Spanish juniors to reach the SF.

QF: Cristina Bucsa/ Samantha Murray (ESP/GBR) [1] 436 (179+257) def Marta Falceto Font/ Alba Retortillo Soiras (ESP/ESP) [WC] UNR/UNR 6-0 6-2

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Sam and partner lost their SF dubs match, 6-10 in the MTB