Week 19 - WTA1000 $1.8M Rome, Italy Clay

Peter too · Tennis legend

Week 19 - WTA1000 $1.8M Rome, Italy Clay

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

I see the men's match before Heather has just gone into a decider, so could be a while yet before she's on court.

Anyone expecting an upturn in fortunes today? Hard to back her in the form she is in, but then Errani has lost 9 of her last 11 herself (both wins coming in the same event).

Streams available in the usual places.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Main draw out, and Ostapenko up first for Jo.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Heather underway, both with fairly comfortable holds. 1-1*

DF · Tennis legend

Lost the first set 3-6

Peter too · Tennis legend

R64: KONTA, Johanna (GBR) 16 18 (CH=4 2017) v OSTAPENKO, Jelena (LAT) 50 (CH=5 2018)

Jo beat Jelena in Eastbourne in 2017, lost in Rome but won in Montreal in 2018 and lost in Birmingham in 2019.

-- Edited by Peter too on Saturday 8th of May 2021 12:11:26 PM

Peter too · Tennis legend

Q1: WATSON, Heather (GBR) 7 69 lost to ERRANI, Sara (ITA) 113 3-6 2-6

PaulM · Tennis legend

Heather not at the races. Tough times in her 6-3 6-2 defeat.

emmsie69 · Top national player

Peter too wrote:
Q1: WATSON, Heather (GBR) 7 69 lost to ERRANI, Sara (ITA) 113 3-6 2-6

That is a shocking result. What on earth is going on with Heather because clearly there is something badly wrong.

SuperT · Futures level

Oh dear. Things really do seem to be going from bad to worse for Heather and it's so sad to see. I hope there isn't anything seriously wrong with her.

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

Not really sure why people think losing to a clay court former top 10 player is a shocking result.

HarryGem · Club Coach

Peter too wrote:
R64: KONTA, Johanna (GBR) 16 18 (CH=4 2017) v OSTAPENKO, Jelena (LAT) 50 (CH=5 2018)
Jo beat Jelena in Eastbourne in 2017, lost in Rome but won in Montreal in 2018 and lost in Birmingham in 2019.

-- Edited by Peter too on Saturday 8th of May 2021 12:11:26 PM

Well Ostapenko is a walking nightmare of unpredictability. I think Jo can win this match though. However, I am not sure I see her doing that well overall as her small section contains Vondrousova, Kerber and Halep.

As to Harriet. No more or less than expected really. When I saw the draw I feared the worst. Errani can be a difficult customer on clay. I'm not sure I'd go as far as saying it was a shocking result but I didn't see the match so maybe she didn't play very well? Or was Errani just very good on the day?

-- Edited by HarryGem on Saturday 8th of May 2021 01:50:51 PM

Tennpar · Strong Club Player

Jaggy1876 wrote:
Not really sure why people think losing to a clay court former top 10 player is a shocking result.

I find myself agreeing with Jaggy - or maybe it's wishful thinking re Heather and her tennis!

Sara is at home and has had a good year beating people I don't really expect her to

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

HarryGem wrote:
Peter too wrote:
R64: KONTA, Johanna (GBR) 16 18 (CH=4 2017) v OSTAPENKO, Jelena (LAT) 50 (CH=5 2018)
Jo beat Jelena in Eastbourne in 2017, lost in Rome but won in Montreal in 2018 and lost in Birmingham in 2019.

-- Edited by Peter too on Saturday 8th of May 2021 12:11:26 PM
Well Ostapenko is a walking nightmare of unpredictability. I think Jo can win this match though. However, I am not sure I see her doing that well overall as her small section contains Vondrousova, Kerber and Halep.
As to Harriet. No more or less than expected really. When I saw the draw I feared the worst. Errani can be a difficult customer on clay. I'm not sure I'd go as far as saying it was a shocking result but I didn't see the match so maybe she didn't play very well? Or was Errani just very good on the day?

-- Edited by HarryGem on Saturday 8th of May 2021 01:50:51 PM

I guess Harriet heading over from the states to play this and then back for her semi cant have helped

HarryGem · Club Coach

Tennpar wrote:
Jaggy1876 wrote:
Not really sure why people think losing to a clay court former top 10 player is a shocking result.
I find myself agreeing with Jaggy - or maybe it's wishful thinking re Heather and her tennis!
Sara is at home and has had a good year beating people I don't really expect her to

Not sure where she is with her tennis right now. Like many other players she is carrying a lot of points that, on current evidence, she would have struggled to defend. Take those off and her ranking would probably be just outside the top100 which is probably a more accurate current reflection.

She seem to be one of the players more affected by the pandemic and the restictions it has exerted on the game. She is perhaps of an age and, with years on the tour, whereby the motivation is no longer as strong as it once was.