Shrieky wasnt built like weightlifter, but she fetched the ball a mighty thump back in her heyday, as I recall. Long levers dont need masses of evident muscle if the timing is right (as I understand the theory)

christ wrote:

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Shrieky wasnt built like weightlifter, but she fetched the ball a mighty thump back in her heyday, as I recall. Long levers dont need masses of evident muscle if the timing is right (as I understand the theory)

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 Yes. Justine Henin was tiny and generated a lot of power. As do many other smaller players. It's about timing and speed of arm as well as weight.

But even just in pure weight terms, Harriet is taller (5 ft 9 approx) and heavier than quite a lot of our players. I agree with em that she could put on some muscle mass and it wouldn't be a bad idea but she's certainly not ultra slender. 

So what with one thing and the other, there's no reason she shouldn't generate as much power as many, if not as much as some. 

Harriet+ get a walk over

First set gone 1-6

Wonder if it was worth the auto withdrawal from Beijing?

No, not worth it. Certainly not in financial terms, and the singles points are more important right now. ($3700 and 20 points for just turning up in Beijing)

Her/their hands were tied a bit anyway after getting the walkover in the previous round. She'd have had to have withdrawn yesterday to be able to play Beijing and I'm not sure how that would have worked - 'win' your QF match via walkover, but then pull out yourself on the same day, would have been bit of a mockery. She was denied the opportunity to potentially tank her QF match if she had wanted to.

Money's not everything, especially to someone who has qualified for slams herself, and always likely to get Wimbledon entry (and made R3 this year), but even if she had won this match and lost the final, she'd have got less than for rocking up to Beijing and losing in Q1. The Q seeds in Beijing did vary from your Linette's and Peterson's in and around the top 50, to those nearer 100, but she would have had a chance against many in that field.

Not sure what she is up to next, the Q lists for Tianjin and Linz still aren't out yet. She did get that random MDWC to Linz last year, but can't see it happening again (assuming they haven't already been announced).

 

Edit - this was written before I saw TAs financial post, so wasn't a direct response to that , and I also agree it wasn't worth it generally (even had she won the doubles ).

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Friday 27th of September 2019 10:55:34 AM