Week 39 - WTA International ($250k) - Tashkent, Uzbekistan - Hard

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Week 39 - WTA International ($250k) - Tashkent, Uzbekistan - Hard

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Yeah, she'd be on 523 with the 47 points added (18+30-1) to Heathers 520.

Priesty · Challenger level

Harriet was broken at 4-4 and has lost the first set 4-6, now 1*-1 in the second....

Perhaps might be tougher than we thought if Kalinskaya has only very recently achieved her CH.

emmsie69 · Top national player

Now we have a break of serve fest, 4-4 with the last 4 games against serve. If Harriet could just get a little more power and consistency on her serve she would be heading up the rankings pretty swiftly.

emmsie69 · Top national player

Make that 5 games

Michael D · All-time great

Yes Harriet's serving not quite there lost 5/11 BPs, whilst Harriet won 3/3 against her opponent, so Harriet's serve was under threat much more often. Just 18 pts it is.

R32: Harriet DART (GBR) [Q] 132 lost to Anna KALINSKAYA (RUS) 116 (CH:113 Sept 19) 4-6 4-6

Priesty · Challenger level

emmsie69 wrote:
Now we have a break of serve fest, 4-4 with the last 4 games against serve. If Harriet could just get a little more power and consistency on her serve she would be heading up the rankings pretty swiftly.

Lost 4 and 4 cry

Totally agree, her serve seems very breakable, if she could sort that out it could make such a difference.

emmsie69 · Top national player

On a positive note she is consistenly coming through qualies and its great to see her back on the court. Part of me admires her scheduling as I know its a much healthier tennis life for her than some but I do feel it stunts her momentum somewhat.

flamingowings · All-time great

Tennis on telly
@tennisontelly

Dart is playing doubles in Tashkent, partners Danka Kovinic to face Naomi Broady and Rosalie van der Hoek in the first round there.

7:57 am · 23 Sep 2019

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

emmsie69 wrote:
Now we have a break of serve fest, 4-4 with the last 4 games against serve. If Harriet could just get a little more power and consistency on her serve she would be heading up the rankings pretty swiftly.

Yes, but it shows that so many female players have serves that are breakable. Presumably Kalinskaya's coach is saying the same (although obviously, as pointed out, she had far more BPS). Indeed, the return of serve is one of the shots that has improved hugely in the last decade or so.

But yes, given Harriet's height and physique, she should have a 'decent' serve, it does seem a bit light for this level.

indiana · Tennis legend

emmsie69 wrote:
On a positive note she is consistenly coming through qualies and its great to see her back on the court. Part of me admires her scheduling as I know its a much healthier tennis life for her than some but I do feel it stunts her momentum somewhat.

It is a very different route from say particularly Arantxa Rus similarly ranked, indeed generally a bit higher ranked during the year, whose schedule ( as noted recently ) has had loads of ITFs including many 25Ks. So the momentum of wins but less quality of opponent and they have found different ways to get to much the same place rankingswise.

I prefer Harriet's approach for the future although arguably she might have mixed it up a little more.

HarryGem · Club Coach

Coup Droit wrote:
emmsie69 wrote:
Now we have a break of serve fest, 4-4 with the last 4 games against serve. If Harriet could just get a little more power and consistency on her serve she would be heading up the rankings pretty swiftly.
Yes, but it shows that so many female players have serves that are breakable. Presumably Kalinskaya's coach is saying the same (although obviously, as pointed out, she had far more BPS). Indeed, the return of serve is one of the shots that has improved hugely in the last decade or so.
But yes, given Harriet's height and physique, she should have a 'decent' serve, it does seem a bit light for this level.

I agree with this completely. I also feel her general weight of shot is a little underpowered. I think we could say she's had an OK year to date but not a significant breakthrough year though there is still time. Starting the year at 153 her current live ranking is 130 so a decent enough improvement. Also coming through qualifiers at grand slams is very good news. However, her perfomances against Sharapova and Barty were a little like a rabbit being caught in the headlights etc. I think there is work to do on both her physicality and the mental side of the game.

It is interesting to go back to February 2018 when, as a qualifier, she won the 25k tournament in Altenkirchen. She was ranked 303 in the world that day and her opponent was ranked 265. Her opponent was just 1 month younger than her and was of course Karolina Muchova. I don't know what the Czechs do to help their players but it definitely works and I'm sure we could learn a lot from them.

Obviously Harriet is still only 23 and has time on her side though the next 12-18 months are surely key to her development.

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, definitely areas Harriet can really improve, which is of course good to think.

The Czechs clearly bring through female players generally very well, even if citing Muchova for comparison against Harriet is very selective. In general Harriet's progress since February 2018 probably stands up pretty well, though of course we ( and she ) would love her to push on at least into the top 100.

emmsie69 · Top national player

I'm surprised at this idea of Harriets physique, I watched her play Christina McHale and the thing that struck me is how slender she is, yes she is a decent height but I can't see where she will get the power from, she will always have to play smart rather than strong.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

emmsie69 wrote:
I'm surprised at this idea of Harriets physique, I watched her play Christina McHale and the thing that struck me is how slender she is, yes she is a decent height but I can't see where she will get the power from, she will always have to play smart rather than strong.

It's all a question of comparison but Harriet's physique is not at all Katie Boulter 'asparagus' style (as the French would say). All wispy and not much to it. And obviously nothing like Katy Dunne or someone who's a lot smaller.

It's true she's hardly hefty but she has quite a strong athletic physique when you see her close to, live. There's plenty of potential for power there.