Weeks 22 & 23 - French Open (Roland-Garros) - Paris, France (clay) - main draw

Andy Parker · Club Coach

Weeks 22 & 23 - French Open (Roland-Garros) - Paris, France (clay) - main draw

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

But no shock in this last one. What an amazing run Badosa is on. 17-2 on clay. Unbelievable streak, and consistency.

Thought it was slipping away as Marketa was clearly the better player in the 2nd set, and Paula was hanging on to her serve, but she pulled away in the decider. I'm pleased she broke to win, as there could have been more twists and turns if she had to serve it out.

Buzzing for for!

junior · Intermediate Club Player

Anyone want to take my bet on? Coup?

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

How good is thus run. 9 wins in a row, 17-2 as mentioned, and even look at the respective pre match odds - she's a big pre match fave in most of her matches. It's basically been a career transforming run, from pretty much out of nowhere.

First WTA title in the bag, first W1000 semi final (at home), and now first time into a slam QF.

badosa run.png

Andy Parker · Club Coach

Badosa's current form is amazing - it will be interesting to see if she can sustain it long term or if it is just a flash in the pan.

Numerous players have gone on fine runs, been great for a few months and then fallen rapidly backwards, others suddenly break through to a new level and stay there. It is too early to say, I think, whether she has suddenly jumped a couple of levels in class or is just in the form of her life. Time will tell.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Her game is clearly geared towards clay, so I'm not expecting massive things for the rest of the year. I hope she is seeded for Wimbledon, and I'll definitely be happy with a R3 showing and matching her seed, but I hope she she can at least establish herself as a solid top 20 player going forward. The ranking system still not ideal - 31st in the live rankings, but literally 2 points off being 10th in the live race, and we're almost half way through the season...(she also effectively didn't have an Australian swing either with catching COVID earlier in the year, and being in the hardest of hardest quarantines.)

She's obviously an attractive girl, which will do no harm for her general profile, there's been more and more talk about looking like Sharapova (journalists, WTA photographers, social media etc.), and her mannerisms, and Maria was her idol, so she could possibly tap into that lost fanbase, but she massively impressed me in Madrid with her charisma, aura on the court, and the way she was able to interact with her passionate home crowd. She's a player that's been on my radar for about 2 years, since her mini run in Palermo 2019, and one of say 10-15 players I look out for, but she's really broken through that these past few months, and has been my first/only outright favourite since the old Lisicki days.

I'm excited, but cautious, about how far she can go, but she's certainly on a phenomenal run at the moment. Great chance for both her and Zidansek to make a slam SF on Tuesday.

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Sunday 6th of June 2021 02:34:52 PM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

junior wrote:
Anyone want to take my bet on? Coup?

Sorry, junior - I don't want to force you off the forum - I'm all for inclusivity, and friends around the world, and all that sort of stuff smile

junior · Intermediate Club Player

Coup Droit wrote:
junior wrote:
Anyone want to take my bet on? Coup?
Sorry, junior - I don't want to force you off the forum - I'm all for inclusivity, and friends around the world, and all that sort of stuff

Sounds like all fart and no follow through Coup

Deucebag · Intermediate Club Player

Hopefully we get a few British girls going deep into the tournament this week. There hasnt been much to smile about on the womens side of British tennis recently as it has been really drab. Great to see Raducanu back and it will be a very interesting match against dart.
Go Brits!

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Wrong thread DB, but yes, hopefully a good Nottm for our British girls. smile

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

junior wrote:
Coup Droit wrote:
junior wrote:
Anyone want to take my bet on? Coup?
Sorry, junior - I don't want to force you off the forum - I'm all for inclusivity, and friends around the world, and all that sort of stuff
Sounds like all fart and no follow through Coup

Sorry to rain on your parade, junior.

I also think Serena is quite a good call.

As you might have noticed, I haven't got involved in the to-ings and fro-ings about who's going to win the women's event at RG.

It's interesting reading. But I really don't have much of a feel. I don't even have a 10p on ! (I've had some on certain matches, but not the overall).

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Well, early days but tuned into see junior's invincible Serena - and Rybakina is killing her.

However, it IS early days

emmsie69 · Top national player

All 3 matches today have been won by the lower ranked player!!

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Cracking start from Rybakina against Serena, 4-1*, although still early days of course. Doesn't look overroared at all at this stage, and just playing her normal clean hitting game.

Ouch - didn't take too long to get back on serve. 4-3*

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Sunday 6th of June 2021 04:18:33 PM

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

emmsie69 wrote:
All 3 matches today have been won by the lower ranked player!!

True, but then they are still a bit all over the place at the moment. Vondrousova still had RG 2019 F points on her record for example, and is currently 40 in the live rankings (and thus lower ranked), now they will drop. Badosa was at least the favourite at the bookies.