Week 25 - WTA 500 - Viking International, Eastbourne (Grass)

PaulM · Tennis legend

Week 25 - WTA 500 - Viking International, Eastbourne (Grass)

the addict · Tennis legend

Who switched Heather's confidence back on - haven't seen her play this for quite a while
Second set tie-break

DF · Tennis legend

Heather levels the match taking the second set in the tie break 3-6 7-6

Jajon · Strong Club Player

Uh thats the best set Ive seen from Heather in forever! Love to see it

PaulM · Tennis legend

I've missed this Heather. Good for everyone to be reminded what she can do.

3-1* final set.

Jan · Hall of fame

Come on Heather!

HarryGem · Club Coach

Heather playing very well and Swiatek showing how inexperienced she is on grass. Basically looks like she has given up. Doesn't look comfortable on grass at all.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Heather *4-1 40-0 and Swiatek throws in some absolutely casual fed up brilliance. Ridiculous stuff.

Still a huge amount to do, Swiatek looking very dangerous again

*4-3

PaulM · Tennis legend

This is brutal. Heather playing so well and has a point for 5-3* but Swiatek is just so good, reads the game so well. The work Heather has to do just to win a point now is insane.

4-4*

It has a bit of a feel of that match against Serena where she did everything right but the Champion just did what champions do - escape...

Jajon · Strong Club Player

Uh oh

HarryGem · Club Coach

Well. Heather's level has dropped, too many unforced errors. Swiatek looks a novice on grass yet somehow has the advantage. Heather needs her first serves now. Can she mentally keep it together?

HarryGem · Club Coach

Better from Heather. She can win this if she gets to a tie break.

PaulM · Tennis legend

I know there will be the usual, but I really can't see how that could be claimed a choke. I don't think Heather got tight, she's not stopped doing the things she was doing, Swiatek has just gone from checked out to absolutely checked in. Almost as if going 40-0 up in that *4-1 game was a problem, letting Iga almost say **** it and just go all out. That service game at *4-5 was so brave. She played a couple of poor return games in that section but Iga had got her serve together after going totall AWOL.

I thought she might nab that break point at 5-5* but not to be.

I feel so sad for Heather, she gave it absolutely everything, played brilliantly, and it wasn't quite enough. I hope she can play this well next week and get a kind draw, and not let it blow her confidence.

-- Edited by PaulM on Tuesday 22nd of June 2021 05:52:25 PM

the addict · Tennis legend

So to summarise

R1: WATSON, Heather (GBR) 70 (CH=38 2015) lost to SWIATEK, Iga (POL) 4 9 =CH 3-6 7-6(4) 5-7
R1: DART, Harriet (GBR) 142 (CH=121 2019) lost to RYBAKINA, Elena (KAZ) 21 (CH=17 2020) 2-6 7-6(5) 4-6

HarryGem · Club Coach

PaulM wrote:
I know there will be the usual, but I really can't see how that could be claimed a choke. I don't think Heather got tight, she's not stopped doing the things she was doing, Swiatek has just gone from checked out to absolutely checked in. Almost as if going 40-0 up in that *4-1 game was a problem, letting Iga almost say **** it and just go all out. That service game at *4-5 was so brave. She played a couple of poor return games in that section but Iga had got her serve together after going totall AWOL.

I thought she might nab that break point at 5-5* but not to be.

I feel so sad for Heather, she gave it absolutely everything, played brilliantly, and it wasn't quite enough. I hope she can play this well next week and get a kind draw, and not let it blow her confidence.

-- Edited by PaulM on Tuesday 22nd of June 2021 05:52:25 PM

I wouldn't call it a choke either but it was a collapse. I'd like to see the stats for the games after the 4-1 40-0 but Heather's level seemed to drop a bit at that crucial point and though she picked up towards the end she never got back in the groove.

Overall I didn't think the match was that good though each played some decent stuff at times. I wasn't impressed with Swiatek's demeanor on court and she looked completely lost at times on the surface and was reacting like a spoilt brat at times. Also I'm surprised more wasn't made of what I though was a deliberate and quitle loud racket tap in mid rally in one of the games late in the 3rd set.

Shame for Heather but considering her form this year it was a good effort.