Week 6 - Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia Hard

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

Week 6 - Australian Open, Melbourne, Australia Hard

Andy Parker · Club Coach

Brady wins 4-6 6-2 6-1. On an extremely hot day in Melbourne, Pegula seemed to visibly wilt in the heat, but it is also fair to say that the better player won.

Spare a thought for how well Jessica Pegula has done though.

She is 26 years old Before this tournament, her previous Grand Slam record was played in 8 Grand Slams overall with just three matches won and 8 losses, and additionally 12 attempts to qualify for Grand Slams have ended in failure. Of the three matches she has won in Grand Slams proper, all three wins have come at the US. So all in all a great tournament for her, and yet another late developer, who is coming in to the best form of her career now and is now provisionally ranked 43 (12 places up on her previous career high ranking).

Muchova v Brady in the semi-finals - who'd have thought it.

Well done to Rosamund, by the way, in being the one person on here at the Quarter Final stage who said she didn't think Ash Barty was a dead cert for the final from the top half.

-- Edited by Andy Parker on Wednesday 17th of February 2021 04:21:20 AM

Andy Parker · Club Coach

Jaggy1876 wrote:
I think that means that only Azarenka from the US Open semis has failed to make the semis here. Osaka, Brady and Williams consecutive semis.

Interesting stat - I think Brady, in particular, will be very proud of reaching consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals and it is a sign that she is really beginning to threaten the top players. Not that I thought today was a vintage performance from her though.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Reading report of Barty v. Muchova. Winning the 1 st set in 24 minutes does not mean the match is won. Back in 2007 in the Wimbledon SF Henin won the 1st set in 22 minutes against Bartoli and was a break up in the 2nd set and finished up losing. Bartoli didnt take a time out either. I see Brady winning means the last 4 are all seeded players for the 1st time since 2014.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

I read on the tennis forum that Kenin had her appendix out after suffering severe abdominal pains. That would explain her performances of late.

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

ROSAMUND wrote:
Reading report of Barty v. Muchova. Winning the 1 st set in 24 minutes does not mean the match is won. Back in 2007 in the Wimbledon SF Henin won the 1st set in 22 minutes against Bartoli and was a break up in the 2nd set and finished up losing. Bartoli didnt take a time out either. I see Brady winning means the last 4 are all seeded players for the 1st time since 2014.

The point is that Barty was in complete control and Muchova looked injured or fatigued. The match was over had there not been the timeout. So youve kind of missed the point. Watch the match maybe and you will see.

We all know that matches can turn as in the Henin v Bartoli example but this was entirely different. Im sure the 2 or 3 other posters who watched live will agree.

flamingowings · All-time great

ROSAMUND wrote:
I read on the tennis forum that Kenin had her appendix out after suffering severe abdominal pains. That would explain her performances of late.

I mean maybe, but it sounds like it was sudden? I think it was the pressure getting to her, from what she has recently said. Having an op may be a blessing in disguise to have a little time away from the court and re-group.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Jaggy1876 wrote:
ROSAMUND wrote:
Reading report of Barty v. Muchova. Winning the 1 st set in 24 minutes does not mean the match is won. Back in 2007 in the Wimbledon SF Henin won the 1st set in 22 minutes against Bartoli and was a break up in the 2nd set and finished up losing. Bartoli didnt take a time out either. I see Brady winning means the last 4 are all seeded players for the 1st time since 2014.
The point is that Barty was in complete control and Muchova looked injured or fatigued. The match was over had there not been the timeout. So youve kind of missed the point. Watch the match maybe and you will see.
We all know that matches can turn as in the Henin v Bartoli example but this was entirely different. Im sure the 2 or 3 other posters who watched live will agree.

You could argue that Muchova was losing badly and took time out to distract her opponent who then lost her form and her rhythm

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

ROSAMUND wrote:
Jaggy1876 wrote:
ROSAMUND wrote:
Reading report of Barty v. Muchova. Winning the 1 st set in 24 minutes does not mean the match is won. Back in 2007 in the Wimbledon SF Henin won the 1st set in 22 minutes against Bartoli and was a break up in the 2nd set and finished up losing. Bartoli didnt take a time out either. I see Brady winning means the last 4 are all seeded players for the 1st time since 2014.
The point is that Barty was in complete control and Muchova looked injured or fatigued. The match was over had there not been the timeout. So youve kind of missed the point. Watch the match maybe and you will see.
We all know that matches can turn as in the Henin v Bartoli example but this was entirely different. Im sure the 2 or 3 other posters who watched live will agree.
You could argue that Muchova was losing badly and took time out to distract her opponent who then lost her form and her rhythm

True, you could but barty shouldnt be so mentally weak to let it turn the match around. Well done to Muchova.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

flamingowings wrote:
ROSAMUND wrote:
I read on the tennis forum that Kenin had her appendix out after suffering severe abdominal pains. That would explain her performances of late.
I mean maybe, but it sounds like it was sudden? I think it was the pressure getting to her, from what she has recently said. Having an op may be a blessing in disguise to have a little time away from the court and re-group.

She had an appendectomy on Monday so it was clearly bad. Ive had it and its no fun.

mine bothered me for months but came on suddenly when it eventually burst and bam.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

One thing about Barty losing was that it meant that Australia are still matching us in not having a home GS womens winner for over 40 years.

indiana · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
ROSAMUND wrote:
Jaggy1876 wrote:
ROSAMUND wrote:
Reading report of Barty v. Muchova. Winning the 1 st set in 24 minutes does not mean the match is won. Back in 2007 in the Wimbledon SF Henin won the 1st set in 22 minutes against Bartoli and was a break up in the 2nd set and finished up losing. Bartoli didnt take a time out either. I see Brady winning means the last 4 are all seeded players for the 1st time since 2014.
The point is that Barty was in complete control and Muchova looked injured or fatigued. The match was over had there not been the timeout. So youve kind of missed the point. Watch the match maybe and you will see.
We all know that matches can turn as in the Henin v Bartoli example but this was entirely different. Im sure the 2 or 3 other posters who watched live will agree.
You could argue that Muchova was losing badly and took time out to distract her opponent who then lost her form and her rhythm
True, you could but barty shouldnt be so mentally weak to let it turn the match around. Well done to Muchova.

Yes, I've hated Djoko's rope-a-dope vs Andy and others over the years but ultimately Andy should have dealt with it and so should Ash have done wirh this

Not sure it was that wise for Muchova to admit that she wasn't injured. Honest and transparent after the event but not wise.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

indiana wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
ROSAMUND wrote:
Jaggy1876 wrote:
ROSAMUND wrote:
Reading report of Barty v. Muchova. Winning the 1 st set in 24 minutes does not mean the match is won. Back in 2007 in the Wimbledon SF Henin won the 1st set in 22 minutes against Bartoli and was a break up in the 2nd set and finished up losing. Bartoli didnt take a time out either. I see Brady winning means the last 4 are all seeded players for the 1st time since 2014.
The point is that Barty was in complete control and Muchova looked injured or fatigued. The match was over had there not been the timeout. So youve kind of missed the point. Watch the match maybe and you will see.
We all know that matches can turn as in the Henin v Bartoli example but this was entirely different. Im sure the 2 or 3 other posters who watched live will agree.
You could argue that Muchova was losing badly and took time out to distract her opponent who then lost her form and her rhythm
True, you could but barty shouldnt be so mentally weak to let it turn the match around. Well done to Muchova.
Yes, I've hated Djoko's rope-a-dope vs Andy and others over the years but ultimately Andy should have dealt with it and so should Ash have done wirh this
Not sure it was that wise for Muchova to admit that she wasn't injured. Honest and transparent after the event but not wise.

From a British point of view do you remember the amount of time Jo had for treatment against Pironkova at New York in 2016. Then came back to win with Pironkova none to pleased one would imagine.Similarly there was the match against Krunic in the Fed Cup where Krunic was not able to expose Jo's problems. But back to the present day comments made by Muchova subsequently do not look good.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

If a player is going to win a GS and they are not Serena or ,Osaka then they need a draw made in heaven. Thus far that is what has happened to Jennifet Brady. Has beaten Bolsova,Brengle, Juvan (Konta), Vekic( Kenin) Pegula ( Pliskova) She dId not meet the players she should have done and only Vekic was seeded. Of course it helps if your potentIial opponents are either injured , need an appendix out or lose a set from 5-0 up. At least Brady reached the SF in New York so she has paid her dues in Grand Slams.

Andy Parker · Club Coach

Re- the debate on Muchova's time out; it was as I thought at the time, a cynical ploy to allow her to mentally re-group and come back firing on all cylinders.

Everyone is right to say that Barty should have dealt with it, but there is one factor that no-one has mentioned yet, and that is the fact that it was by all accounts incredibly hot in the stadium, and where Muchova got a significant break from the heat, Barty was left sweltering in it for several minutes. It was anyway, a big meltdown from Barty, and none of the three of us watching it live (if there were others they were silent) saw that meltdown coming.

It was incredible to watch and I was gobsmacked that Barty didn't manage to re-group and come back dominant in the last set - I thought it was a temporary loss of concentration that she would get over. Muchova had her seriously rattled and Muchova also had Pliskova seriously rattled; it will be interesting to see how Brady copes with her - Brady had her moments of huge frustration against Pegula last night, and maybe Muchova may get under her skin tonight.