Week 32 - WTA Premier 5, Rogers Cup ($2,83m) - Toronto, Canada - Hard

indiana · Tennis legend

Week 32 - WTA Premier ($2,83m) - Toronto, Canada - Hard

ROSAMUND · Futures level

indiana wrote:
Jo is still reasonably placed for a US Open top 16 seeding, to be based on the post Cincinnatti rankings.

For now she drops a net 50 points to 2695 points but is still live ranked 14 and #15 and #16, Vondrousova and Wang Qiang respectively, are not playing Toronto. And as you point out, Jo has nothing to defend from Cincinnatti last year.
Live 17,18 and 19 are Keys, Wozniacki and Kontaveit, who are all still in Toronto.
I suppose potentially Petra Kvitova might not play US Open because she seems to have ongoing arm issues. Jo wasn't seeded in the top 16 at either Roland Garros and Wimbledon and it didn't do her any harm.

-- Edited by indiana on Monday 5th of August 2019 10:59:13 PM

flamingowings · All-time great

Daria Kasatkina (not exactly in form) beat Kerber in 3 sets.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

flamingowings wrote:
Daria Kasatkina (not exactly in form) beat Kerber in 3 sets.

Wow, I recorded BT before I went to bed, mainly to watch the final set of Sharapova-Kontaveit (fantastic match) in the morning, and that went on very long, so my recording finished at 4am with that match still in progression. It was 6-0 2-2 Keber when my recording cut out (I'd normally record the next programme, but wasn't as fussed), anyway, I just assumed Kerber would have won that, so quite a surprise given Kasatkina's form (as you say), especially after losing the first set 0-6. Another blow for Kerber.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Another side note. I see top Q seed Zhang retired against Potapova in her FQR the other day, and had a number of MTOs in the first set, which she lost on a TB, and then retired very early in the second set, and now she gets a LL spot after Tsurenko withdrew. I don't particularly like Zhang, so this does especially stand out, but what's people's thoughts on that situation? It's happened for years so certainly nothing new - I was going to say even if it was someone like Konta I'd be against it, but it actually happened to her earlier this season in Australia when she retired at 1-4 in quals and got a LL spot, before eventually pulling out, but I think if you retire from a tournament, that should be your involvement ended, even if it was just a cold, and you were fine a day or two later, it's a bit of a mockery IMO.

Michael D · All-time great

Yes, I would agree Ace. If you've retired you've retired, and that's the end of your involvement in that particular tournament. In such circumstances Zhang should not have been eligible for a LL place, and the rules should be changed.

flamingowings · All-time great

I'm also in agreement Ace. I was quite critical of Jo when it happened to her a few months back I think.

Status Quo · Intermediate Club Player

Still little traction outside of clay for such an accomplished hard court player. Quite perplexing.

Point of order: thread title - this is a Premier 5, not a Premier

Michael D · All-time great

RE: Week 32 - WTA Premier 5, Rogers Cup ($2,83m) - Toronto, Canada - Hard

flamingowings · All-time great

Michael D wrote:
Status Quo wrote:
Still little traction outside of clay for such an accomplished hard court player. Quite perplexing.

Point of order: thread title - this is a Premier 5, not a Premier
Ok, I've changed the title. It's often hard to know exactly what the tournament is since there is not a consistent use. I normally use the drawsheet, but that usually only has the tournament financial value, not the tier level. So it means also checking back to the WTA site...

I hate the WTA tournaments. Give me the ATP 250, 500, Masters 1000 any day- at least it says what it does on the tin. Premier, Premier Mandatory (or is that just a Premier!?), Premier 5 - meaningless to me.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Status Quo wrote:
Still little traction outside of clay for such an accomplished hard court player. Quite perplexing.

Point of order: thread title - this is a Premier 5, not a Premier

After she won Miami in 2017, Jo has never won more than 2 matches in any hard court WTA tournament. Since then the best achievement was probably getting a win over Serena even if there were mitigating circumstances. Jo's last match on hard courts before Toronto was the heavy loss to Qiang Wang at Miami and that was worse than the Yastremska match. It's not as if Jo can't play winning tennis such as against Sloane Stephens and Petra Kvitova at Wimbledon. I used to look at clay courts and wonder who Jo was likely to beat on them and soon it will be the hard courts.

Status Quo · Intermediate Club Player

Michael D wrote:
Status Quo wrote:
Still little traction outside of clay for such an accomplished hard court player. Quite perplexing.

Point of order: thread title - this is a Premier 5, not a Premier
Ok, I've changed the title. It's often hard to know exactly what the tournament is since there is not a consistent use. I normally use the drawsheet, but that usually only has the tournament financial value, not the tier level. So it means also checking back to the WTA site...

Only important because the points are at a significant premium in P5 over standard Premier.

As though we have any representation left to take advantage of the increase...

hoots · Intermediate Club Player

Ace Ventura wrote:
I'll always have a soft spot for Dayana having met her at Ilkley last year, and I am generally a fan of that big, line hitting, marginal game, and being ranked 34, she could really do with a run this week or next week to try and sneak in the top 32 and be a seed for the US Open, but at the same time, Jo has her own ambitions lying 8th in the Race and trying to secure a 9-16 seeding place herself for the open. Wasn't expecting Yastremska to win 5 of the next 6 games, having lost those 8 points in a row.

I've not been able to watch any of it yet, but when those type of players, like Ostapenko, Sabalenka etc. get hot and get on a streak, there's sometimes little that can be done. Has anyone been able to see any of it?

I too have a soft spot for her having met her at Didsbury and am a fan of her type of game. I also love watching Kasatkina,but this year has been terrible for her so far. Hope the win against Kerber is a big turning point for her.

flamingowings · All-time great

Barty out in 3.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Somebody said I should change my name to Frazer after the Doomladen character in Dad's Army. However wearing this hat I have to say that based on 2017,2018 and 1 tournament this year Jo is more likely to lose in the 1st round of the North American tour events(Canada,Cincinnati, US Open) and the 3 Asia events after the US Open than anything else. This is an up to date a total of 13 tournaments and so far Jo won 2 matches at Cincinnati in 2017, 2 in Montreal in 2018 and won in Tokyo against a doubles specialist. That leaves 10 first round defeats. On that basis I have no expectations for any success.. The only thing is that my expectations for clay court wins was similar and thankfully that was proved wrong.