Week 19 - WTA1000 - Rome, Italy Clay

DF · Tennis legend

Week 19 - WTA1000 - Rome, Italy Clay

indiana · Tennis legend

Emma will no doubt get criticised for retiring again. But it's very possibly more tending to play when she shouldn't.

Certainly if there were still any back issues coming into the match then I fail to see why she was playing.

Need to get it right. There shouldn't be any particular pressure to play, especially at her stage.

-- Edited by indiana on Tuesday 10th of May 2022 04:55:27 PM

Jan · Hall of fame

cry

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

DF wrote:
She retired

From the Beeb.

adz1983 · Intermediate Club Player

indiana wrote:
Emma will no doubt get criticised for retiring again. But it's very possibly more tending to play when she shouldn't.

Certainly if there were still any back issues coming into the match then I fail to see why she was playing.

Need to get it right. There shouldn't be any particular pressure to play, especially at her stage.

-- Edited by indiana on Tuesday 10th of May 2022 04:55:27 PM

I agree with this entirely. Still haven't quite got my head round the demands on her schedule being a top 20 player which comes with certain commitments. But it does make me wonder if she should draw her clay court season to a close, spend a good 3/4 weeks getting these niggles sorted or at least under control and go into the grass court season without that worry hanging over her. Is it any great loss to her if she skips the French this year? With a good draw she might have got to 2nd or 3rd round but is it worth it? Despite the inevitable pressure from UK media you can't help thinking a healthy and happy Emma could do some damage in the grass court season.

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, Emma drawing her clay season to a close and trying to get her niggles sorted sounds a very reasonable plan to me. If she manages some additional fitness work and practice, all the better.

There's the grass season and the North Anerican hard court season to come. Plenty there for her and I think she would be much better for not 'managing' issues to such an extent, as I read she has been doing.

She's given clay a go, and very encouragingly at times, but no need to push it further. There's next year and hopefully many further years.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
Yes, Emma drawing her clay season to a close and trying to get her niggles sorted sounds a very reasonable plan to me. If she manages some additional fitness work and practice, all the better.

There's the grass season and the North Anerican hard court season to come. Plenty there for her and I think she would be much better for not 'managing' issues to such an extent, as I read she has been doing.

She's given clay a go, and very encouragingly at times, but no need to push it further. There's next year and hopefully many further years.

Agree re regrouping, resting and going for the grass. She has a lot of points to defend over the next 4 months and that will bring pressure whatever we all think, clay wont add anything whereas a few weeks on grass will give her a real chance.

surbiton, Nottingham, Birmingham , Eastbourne and Wimbledon or 4 out of those 5 would work a treat

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

I'm not sure, it's almost 2 weeks until the FO, and she's only 19 so her body will repair quite quickly.

My thinking is that it's a free swing this year on the clay, no points to defend, no expectation. Also it might be less pressure in the grass court season if she's got a few more points in the bag. She knows how to play on grass, so she needn't do many warm up grass tournies either, so saving her body for Wimby.

the addict · Tennis legend

Don't think somehow that she will defend her title at Felixstowe this month, even if she misses RG.
I think she should have a couple of weeks break before Wimbledon - exactly when is open to debate.

HarryGem · Club Coach

Helen40 wrote:
I'm not sure, it's almost 2 weeks until the FO, and she's only 19 so her body will repair quite quickly.

My thinking is that it's a free swing this year on the clay, no points to defend, no expectation. Also it might be less pressure in the grass court season if she's got a few more points in the bag. She knows how to play on grass, so she needn't do many warm up grass tournies either, so saving her body for Wimby.

Will her body repair quite quickly though? She was suffering with a back issue in Madrid and decided to give it a go here in Rome. All depends what the issue is with her back as to whether she can recover in 2 weeks.

As Indy says if there was an issue going into Rome then why did she play? Who is making the calls right now? Is Emma deciding or is someone else? There's obviously pressure to play from a sponsor's position too, many of whom have paid a lot of her money for Emma's endorsements.

Looks more and more likely that covid has played more of a role than perhaps has been openly admitted in her pre-season preparations.

If there is any doubt to her fitness for Paris she should skip it. Unless she gets a very lucky draw she is unlikely to get very far in any case and she is already entered for the grass in Birmingham where surely she has more chance of getting points prior to Wimbledon.

So much excitement around Emma's first full year on the tour is fast receding into a morass of unfortunate injuries and niggles. Frustrating for her and for her supporters.

-- Edited by HarryGem on Tuesday 10th of May 2022 07:19:25 PM

Lambda · Futures qualifying

JonH comes home wrote:

indiana wrote:
Yes, Emma drawing her clay season to a close and trying to get her niggles sorted sounds a very reasonable plan to me. If she manages some additional fitness work and practice, all the better.

There's the grass season and the North Anerican hard court season to come. Plenty there for her and I think she would be much better for not 'managing' issues to such an extent, as I read she has been doing.

She's given clay a go, and very encouragingly at times, but no need to push it further. There's next year and hopefully many further years.
Agree re regrouping, resting and going for the grass. She has a lot of points to defend over the next 4 months and that will bring pressure whatever we all think, clay wont add anything whereas a few weeks on grass will give her a real chance.

surbiton, Nottingham, Birmingham , Eastbourne and Wimbledon or 4 out of those 5 would work a treat

It sounds like from the LTA promo news story that she's starting her grass season at Birmingham.

On other comments, to note that this was a commitment tournament for Emma. As she missed Doha, she must play all non-mandatory 1000s for which she would be a direct acceptance, or get a 0 point counter that must count. That said, she has to count her 2 best non-mandatory 1000s, so she has to count this 1 point counter for a few months anyway.