When she lost to Qiang Wang in Miami reaching the last quarter final stages of the next 3 Grand Slams would have seemed unbelieveable. At least she played her best in the Grand Slams and reserved the poorer performances for the lesser events. e.g. not like Kuznetsova or Giorgi.
She's currently 11 in the race, and has a chance of being passed by a couple of people. It doesn't look like she's got any realistic chance of making the WTF. Still, a good year compared to last, so I'll take it.
I couldn't exactly tell in the post match conference between the "I means " whether Jo exactly wanted to play at Shenzen or not. She's not down to play either Osaka or Wuhan. If nothing else she had her best performances in 2019 in the Grand Slams. 14 wins is the best since Jo Durie in 1983 when she won 15 matches. Ann Jones also had 15 wins back in 1969 and 14 in 1968. Virginia Wade never managed 14. At least Jo was not annihilated by Serena like Qiang Wang.
Should Jo look to take some wildcards (if organisers are willing) into the big Asian swing events? It almost feels like she has now shut her season down by not signing up for any of them. Apart from the Mandatory tournament.
From the BBC interview with Jo
Her performance at Flushing Meadows is likely to lift her to 11th place in the world rankings when they are published next Monday and if she can continue her good form over the next few weeks she could still stake a claim for a debut place in the WTA Finals - the season-ending tournament for the year's top eight players in Shenzhen, China.
"I'd love for that to be a part of my schedule," Konta said. "But there are so many moving factors with that. So many things depend on how other people are doing."
Jo was already #11 in the race before the US Open and although doing really well here in reaching the QF ...
1) Because #7, 8, 9 & 10 were, unfortunately and rather coincidentally, Bencic, Andreescu, Svitolina and S Williams ( 3 of whom are into the SF and the other favourite to be the 4th ) she has actually on points difference dropped quite a bit further away from the top 8 race positions.
2) She apparently currently isn't entered into any tournaments before the Beijing Mandatory, 3 weeks after the end of the US Open.
Pre US Open race : 8. Andreescu 2727 11. Konta 2450 ( 277 behind )
Live race as of now : 8. Svitolina 3464 11. Konta 2880 ( 584 behind ) ... and even futher behind (627) if Andreesu wins her QF to go back into 8th on 3507 points
So the gap to 8th is up to around 600 points with us still to see who will add further big points by reaching the final.
If Jo would love the WTA finals to be part of her schedule she will very probably need to enter rather more than the Beijing Mandatory ( 1000 points for the winner, 650 for the RU ).
You'd have to think it would be a strong possiblity that Serena wouldn't play the finals. I know it's record prize money this year and she referenced talking her daughter to the Great Wall of China, but then she also mentioned playing a grass warm up, and she often shuts her season down straight after the US Open these days.
If Jo actually did want to play the finals, which sounds like the case, then it's absurd that she didn't enter Wuhan P5. She, Osaka, and Serena were the only 3 in the top 40 or 50 (can't remember) not to enter, and Osaka has since taken a WC, and I'm not sure if the same option would be open for Jo. Not entering the Premier tournament in Osaka could also prove costly. She has played a lot of tennis recently, reaching 2 clay finals before the French, and extended runs in all 3 of the most recent slams, but she has still only played 16 events this year, whereas rivals Bencic and Bertens have both played 20, Kenin 19, and Mertens, who could close the gap, has played 21. Someone on circa 3000 points can't afford to be passing up tournaments offering 900 for the winner.
While I'd obviously like to see Jo make them if possible, I'd far rather the likes of Bencic, and particularly Andreescu, got in ahead of someone like Bertens (who was looking very likely before Wimbledon, but not so much now), likewise I'd much prefer either of those 2 to make the US Open final ahead of Mertens, so I'll not be hoping that specific results potentially go Jo's way until much nearer the Kremlin Cup in Moscow when the picture will become much clearer. Should be an interesting race in general.
I wonder if she bothers playing the consolation event in Zhuhai if she does miss out? Lots of points and prize money there, but there's traditionally a lot of withdrawals as well.
-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Wednesday 4th of September 2019 09:15:56 PM
I think Jo's been careful with her programme this year making sure she doesn't suffer any burn out. I know in an interview prior to the US Open she said she'd already played over 50 matches in the year. Maybe she doesn't want to play every available tournament in what might prove a vain attempt to get to Shenzen. Remember Andy Murray wore himself out in 2016 getting to world No. 1 . To be honest I'm happier Jo getting to the later stages of Grand Slams than getting to Shenzen. Even with the big prize money on offer a fair amount must be taxed. Agree with the comment about Bertens. Seems to have done nothing since she was ill in Paris and overseeded for the Grand Slams. You just know she's going to lose early on.
Well, we got our Andreescu-Bencic semi final. The first of many significant matches between them in the coming years I would have thought. Should be a cracker.
-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Thursday 5th of September 2019 01:50:22 AM
Well, we got our Andreescu-Bencic semi final. The first of many significant matches between them in the coming years I would have thought. Should be a cracker.
-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Thursday 5th of September 2019 01:50:22 AM
It may not have been realised but British players reaching 3 Grand Slam quarterfinals in a row in the Open Era is a rare feat unless you are Andy Murray or Ann Jones from 1968 to 1969. Excluding Andy and Ann before Jo in 2019 the previous time was Tim Henman in 2004. The last female was Virginia Wade back in 1972! You can say it doesn't happen very often.
Jo was already #11 in the race before the US Open and although doing really well here in reaching the QF ...
1) Because #7, 8, 9 & 10 were, unfortunately and rather coincidentally, Bencic, Andreescu, Svitolina and S Williams ( 3 of whom are into the SF and the other favourite to be the 4th ) she has actually on points difference dropped quite a bit further away from the top 8 race positions.
2) She apparently currently isn't entered into any tournaments before the Beijing Mandatory, 3 weeks after the end of the US Open.
Pre US Open race : 8. Andreescu 2727 11. Konta 2450 ( 277 behind )
Live race as of now : 8. Svitolina 3464 11. Konta 2880 ( 584 behind ) ... and even futher behind (627) if Andreesu wins her QF to go back into 8th on 3507 points
So the gap to 8th is up to around 600 points with us still to see who will add further big points by reaching the final.
If Jo would love the WTA finals to be part of her schedule she will very probably need to enter rather more than the Beijing Mandatory ( 1000 points for the winner, 650 for the RU ).
Jo will also have to do very much better than she did when played in any tournament after Paris excluding the Grand Slams. She played 4 tournaments and only won 3 matches.