Week 6 - WTA Premier ($783K) - St Petersburg, Russia Hard

ROSAMUND · Futures level

RE: Week 6 - WTA Premier ($783K) - St Petersburg, Russia Hard

HarryGem · Club Coach

Ace Ventura wrote:
ROSAMUND wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:
It'll be Kuzmova or qualifier Dodin in R2, so that's not too bad.
Unfortunately that did not prove the case against an opponent Dodin who has played more singles matches in the last 5 or 6 days than Jo has managed in the last 5 months. Added to that Jo appearing to have a cold probably didn't help either.
But as PaulM says, in the last 16 of a premier event, she couldn't have really had a better draw when you consider she could have drawn the likes of unseeded Kuznetsova, Alexandrova etc.

It's good to see Dodin playing well, and climbing back up the rankings, but if Konta was considering that a bad draw, or one she was not ready for, then she probably shouldn't have played.

Hard to gloss over this result with anything other than disappointment really. Jo may have not been feeling great but she's looking well off the required level just now so it is good to see progress in the doubles as at least that is adding some game time and match fitness. Right now it is hard to see her defending too many of those points gathered on the clay last year, though form can turn round quite quickly.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

HarryGem wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:
ROSAMUND wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:
It'll be Kuzmova or qualifier Dodin in R2, so that's not too bad.
Unfortunately that did not prove the case against an opponent Dodin who has played more singles matches in the last 5 or 6 days than Jo has managed in the last 5 months. Added to that Jo appearing to have a cold probably didn't help either.
But as PaulM says, in the last 16 of a premier event, she couldn't have really had a better draw when you consider she could have drawn the likes of unseeded Kuznetsova, Alexandrova etc.

It's good to see Dodin playing well, and climbing back up the rankings, but if Konta was considering that a bad draw, or one she was not ready for, then she probably shouldn't have played.
Hard to gloss over this result with anything other than disappointment really. Jo may have not been feeling great but she's looking well off the required level just now so it is good to see progress in the doubles as at least that is adding some game time and match fitness. Right now it is hard to see her defending too many of those points gathered on the clay last year, though form can turn round quite quickly.

Yep, that does looks likely at the moment, but it certainly can sharp change. I remember last year, probably just after Miami when she got soundly beaten by Wang Qiang, I mentioned something about her transitioning back to a 30-50 type player, and GBs hopes of a women challenging at the latter stages of grand slams would be all but over for the foreseeable future, yet in less than 6 months she reached a slam SF on clay, 2 further slam QFs, and a P5 final on clay, so while it's clearly been a tough few months for her (if we include missing the Asian swing as well), I shan't be making any predictions this time, ha.

Hopefully she can get going soon.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

HarryGem wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:
ROSAMUND wrote:
Ace Ventura wrote:
It'll be Kuzmova or qualifier Dodin in R2, so that's not too bad.
Unfortunately that did not prove the case against an opponent Dodin who has played more singles matches in the last 5 or 6 days than Jo has managed in the last 5 months. Added to that Jo appearing to have a cold probably didn't help either.
But as PaulM says, in the last 16 of a premier event, she couldn't have really had a better draw when you consider she could have drawn the likes of unseeded Kuznetsova, Alexandrova etc.

wIt's good to see Dodin playing well, and climbing back up the rankings, but if Konta was considering that a bad draw, or one she was not ready for, then she probably shouldn't have played.
Hard to gloss over this result with anything other than disappointment really. Jo may have not been feeling great but she's looking well off the required level just now so it is good to see progress in the doubles as at least that is adding some game time and match fitness. Right now it is hard to see her defending too many of those points gathered on the clay last year, though form can turn round quite quickly.

To be honest Jo has looked below the required level since Wimbledon excluding the US Open. Apart from the Grand Slams she has no wins on the main tour since Eastbourne. In her last 4 singles matches she has won just 1 set. When we made the tennis ranking predictions at the year end I put her at 60 which may be an overstatement .It might just be that everybody has their peak and Jo has passed hers even if she has worked harder on her game than most of our players Must add though it was during the grass court season that Jo admitted that her knee problem was getting worse.

-- Edited by ROSAMUND on Friday 14th of February 2020 08:01:08 AM

the addict · Tennis legend

For the record

Doubles
QF:- Caroline Garcia (FRA)/ / Johanna Konta (GBR) CR677 (205+472) def Cornelia Lister (SWE) / Renata Voracova CR128 (72+54) 6-2 6-2

SF:- Caroline Garcia (FRA)/ / Johanna Konta (GBR) CR677 (205+472) v Kaitlyn Christian (USA) / Alexa Guarachi (CHILE) CR118 (59+49) [3]

Not on Friday's order of play

ROSAMUND · Futures level

the addict wrote:
For the record

Doubles
QF:- Caroline Garcia (FRA)/ / Johanna Konta (GBR) CR677 (205+472) def Cornelia Lister (SWE) / Renata Voracova CR128 (72+54) 6-2 6-2

SF:- Caroline Garcia (FRA)/ / Johanna Konta (GBR) CR677 (205+472) v Kaitlyn Christian (USA) / Alexa Guarachi (CHILE) CR118 (59+49) [3]

Not on Friday's order of play

Due to play on Saturday presumably to give the spectators something to watch otherwise it would only be singles

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Jo not playing Dubai. Caroline Garcia has withdrawn from Dubai as well. They are playing the doubles semi final in St Petersburg on Saturday which is probably the reason why judging by social media posts.

-- Edited by ROSAMUND on Friday 14th of February 2020 05:47:53 PM

-- Edited by ROSAMUND on Friday 14th of February 2020 05:58:09 PM

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

A 3rd final already in 2020 for Rybakina who's astonishing rise shows no signs of stopping (although she did have to save MPs against Dodin the other day), and her first final at Premier level - she's only played 4 events this year. She's up to 19 in the live rankings. Could be a Shenzhen final rematch with Alexandrova, although possibly more likely to be against Bertens.

I must say as I spectacle, St Petersburg is one of my fave events on the WTA calendar. They always put so much effort into making it

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Saturday 15th of February 2020 01:10:36 PM

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Ace Ventura wrote:
A 3rd final already in 2020 for Rybakina who's astonishing rise shows no signs of stopping (although she did have to save MPs against Dodin the other day), and her first final at Premier level - she's only played 4 events this year. She's up to 19 in the live rankings. Could be a Shenzhen final rematch with Alexandrova, although possibly more likely to be against Bertens.

I must say as I spectacle, St Petersburg is one of my fave events on the WTA calendar. They always put so much effort into making it

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Saturday 15th of February 2020 01:10:36 PM

Correct enough in final more likely to be Bertens.

wolf · Tennis legend

The speciallists prevailed

SF:- Kaitlyn Christian (USA) / Alexa Guarachi (CHI) CR118 (59+49) beat [3] Caroline Garcia (FRA) / Johanna Konta (GBR) CR677 (205+472) 6-4 7-5