Week 6 - WTA 250 - Cluj-Napoca, Romania (indoor hard)

foobarbaz · Strong Club Player

Week 6 - WTA 250 - Cluj-Napoca, Romania (indoor hard)

RJH1962 · Intermediate Club Player

9vicman wrote:
Good to see Harriet rewarded for a pretty gruelling schedule. She's played 33 events over the last 12 months, which means she is able to discount almost half her events. But at her best she has three WTA quarterfinals and two Challenger finals. The key of course is to have enough good events spread out across the year.

Totally agree with this. She seems to play a lot more events than Katie and Jodie. Well Done Harriet

DF · Tennis legend

the addict wrote:
L16: (1) Eri Hozumi & Makoto Ninomiya (JPN/JPN) CR 90 (42+48) def Oksana Kalashnikova (GEO) & Samantha Murray Sharan CR 318 (55+263) 6-4 6-1
L16: Harriet Dart & Tereza Mihalikova (SVK) CR 215 (152+63) def Irina Khromacheva & Miriam Kolodziejova (***/CZE) CR 144 (65+79) 6-0 7-5

****

QF:- Eri Hozumi & Makoto Ninomiya (JPN/JPN) CR 90 (42+48) [1] v Harriet Dart & Tereza Mihalikova (SVK) CR 215 (152+63)

One set all

DF · Tennis legend

DF wrote:
the addict wrote:
L16: (1) Eri Hozumi & Makoto Ninomiya (JPN/JPN) CR 90 (42+48) def Oksana Kalashnikova (GEO) & Samantha Murray Sharan CR 318 (55+263) 6-4 6-1
L16: Harriet Dart & Tereza Mihalikova (SVK) CR 215 (152+63) def Irina Khromacheva & Miriam Kolodziejova (***/CZE) CR 144 (65+79) 6-0 7-5

****

QF:- Eri Hozumi & Makoto Ninomiya (JPN/JPN) CR 90 (42+48) [1] v Harriet Dart & Tereza Mihalikova (SVK) CR 215 (152+63)
One set all

Harriet and Tereza win 10-8 in the MTB

the addict · Tennis legend

QF:- Harriet Dart (GBR) / Tereza Mihalikova (SVK) CR 215 (152+63) Eri Hozumi / Makoto Ninomiya (JPN/JPN) CR 90 (42+48) [1] 2-6 6-3 10-8

3 out of 3 in MTB's today for our girls biggrin

the addict · Tennis legend

Well at least we know that one of them will make the final and get 163 points rather than 98 ! Liv is currently WR99 on Coric live rankings and Harriet WR144

SF:- Elixane Lechemia (FRA) & Olivia Nicholls CR 188 (83+105) v Harriet Dart (GBR) / Tereza Mihalikova (SVK) CR 215 (152+63)

SuperT · Futures level

9vicman wrote:
Good to see Harriet rewarded for a pretty gruelling schedule. She's played 33 events over the last 12 months, which means she is able to discount almost half her events. But at her best she has three WTA quarterfinals and two Challenger finals. The key of course is to have enough good events spread out across the year.

I do so agree with this. Far too many of girls play sparingly, be it for injury or other reasons and some (not all) don't even have a full number of counters. Katies B and S, Sonay, Emma, Fran and Katy all fall into this category. I don't think Harriet is necessarily the most talented but she gets her rewards for hard work. She has 4 spare counters of 13 points, so would have those as replacements even if she had a bad spell or were out for a short while. I'm really pleased to see her getting some good results at the moment.

indiana · Tennis legend

Jeff Stelling wrote:
seagull wrote:
And will almost certainly be back in the Top 100 next week. Well done Harriet

-- Edited by seagull on Thursday 8th of February 2024 11:52:20 AM

I must say that astonishes me. It feels like many other Brits who tiptoe over the line of the top 100 - eg Liam - do so off the back of a body of very consistent performances.

I am certain this is just a reflection on me following Harriet less closely than other Brits due to her propensity to go radio rental at someone tapping their temple, but it feels like that return to the top 100 is a little out of the blue after a couple of years of underwhelming performances.

In any event, top 100 is a fine achievement, so congratulations to Harriet for (probably) making it back there.

I think it is great to see Harriet probably back into the top 100l again.

Many have exoressed doubts, myself maybe include at times, about her and her top 100 potential. Having originally entered the top 100 in March 2022 after her great Indian Wells week and largely stayed there until January 2023, she did underperform for a time, to the extent of falling out of the top 150.

But she's a worker and. And, as folk have said competes! You've got to be in it to win it, amd whether by her own good play and/or draws opening up, she will not unreasonably benefit over time.

Keep on trucking !

Mervatron2 · Challenger qualifying

Great week for Harriet and a winnable but tough QF.

Glad to see her back in the top 100 too. Onwards and upwards.

dodrade · Futures qualifying

SuperT wrote:
9vicman wrote:
Good to see Harriet rewarded for a pretty gruelling schedule. She's played 33 events over the last 12 months, which means she is able to discount almost half her events. But at her best she has three WTA quarterfinals and two Challenger finals. The key of course is to have enough good events spread out across the year.

I do so agree with this. Far too many of girls play sparingly, be it for injury or other reasons and some (not all) don't even have a full number of counters. Katies B and S, Sonay, Emma, Fran and Katy all fall into this category. I don't think Harriet is necessarily the most talented but she gets her rewards for hard work. She has 4 spare counters of 13 points, so would have those as replacements even if she had a bad spell or were out for a short while. I'm really pleased to see her getting some good results at the moment.

I doubt the other girls work any less hard than Harriet, she's simply more fortunate with her fitness and so has more counters. Playing well this week but has still to win a title above W25 level which must be pretty rare for a Top 100 player, especially at her age.

Nix · Futures level

dodrade wrote:
SuperT wrote:
9vicman wrote:
Good to see Harriet rewarded for a pretty gruelling schedule. She's played 33 events over the last 12 months, which means she is able to discount almost half her events. But at her best she has three WTA quarterfinals and two Challenger finals. The key of course is to have enough good events spread out across the year.

I do so agree with this. Far too many of girls play sparingly, be it for injury or other reasons and some (not all) don't even have a full number of counters. Katies B and S, Sonay, Emma, Fran and Katy all fall into this category. I don't think Harriet is necessarily the most talented but she gets her rewards for hard work. She has 4 spare counters of 13 points, so would have those as replacements even if she had a bad spell or were out for a short while. I'm really pleased to see her getting some good results at the moment.
I doubt the other girls work any less hard than Harriet, she's simply more fortunate with her fitness and so has more counters. Playing well this week but has still to win a title above W25 level which must be pretty rare for a Top 100 player, especially at her age.

Absolutely this! I dont know why this keeps getting wheeled out time after time that Harriet somehow deserves success more because she gets injured less. It doesnt make any sense. When Fran, for instance, had a brief period of fitness she went all out to play tournaments but her body just broke down again. But shes had far more barriers to overcome and I think shes done amazingly to play as much as she has done and achieve what she has in professional sport.

Similarly, Jodie, Katie B and Katie S have had catalogues of injuries that have held them back including stress fractures, ME, multiple double ankle operations, hip issues, torn muscles, the list goes on. It takes far more application and mental fortitude to come back from rehab with injury than it does to play tournaments. Ask any professional sportsperso which theyd rather do and whats been more challenging.

Both Jodie and Katie B. have shown what they can do when theyre injury free for a period of time. There were doubters about whether Katie could win any matches not on grass. I think shes more than proven herself reaching the top 50 and still going. Jodie also establishing herself in the top 100. Both amazing achievements with all the challenges theyve faced.

We dont consistently get this on the mens pages that Cameron Norrie deserves success more than Jack Draper because Jack has been injured more. Or that Paul Jubb or Jay Clarke should be playing more tournaments. Its obvious why they havent been able to and the same for the women too.

Im pleased for Harriet and I want to see her do well. But just on the basis she of her lucky injury record I dont think she deserves it more.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I don't agree.

I do think Harriet is more ultra dedicated than the others

I don't think this makes her more deserving though

From what I read and am told, Harriet goes to bed at 9 pm every night. She doesnt touch alcohol (except a sip.of fizz at xmas). She is 100% ultra committed. I don't think the other girls follow such a strict regime

But, again, this is simply a fact, it doesn't make her any more deserving, in my eyes

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Friday 9th of February 2024 08:59:15 AM

Blue_Belle · Club Coach

Coup Droit wrote:
I don't agree.

I do think Harriet is more ultra dedicated than the others

I don't think this makes her more deserving though

From what I read and am told, Harriet goes to bed at 9 pm every night. She doesnt touch alcohol (except a sip.of fizz at xmas). She is 100% ultra committed. I don't think the other girls follow such a strict regime

But, again, this is simply a fact, it doesn't make her any more deserving, in my eyes

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Friday 9th of February 2024 08:59:15 AM

Strangely, we are all different. So what works for one player doesn't work for others.

Not any less dedicated, just different.

I don't see any player any more or less dedicated (it's not like any of them are say, Dan in his younger, pre-ban years or Kygrios) or any more or less deserving.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Can a comparatively healthy injury record simply be dismissed as "lucky"?

Some injuries are unlucky, slipping on court, getting food poisoning, having an illness or condition (as Katie does for example, and Fran of course) etc... But many are a result of technical issues, not doing the proper preventative work (because it's boring), not listening to your body, bad training/fitness regimes and so on. And of course when it happens young or early in your career it then leaves you susceptible to further issues due to the underlying weakness.

When a bunch of players got stress fractures at the same time at the NTC a good few years ago it wasn't bad luck. It happened for a reason.

But you're absolutely right, the level of dedication and motivation it takes to come back from that sort of thing is immense.

And for what it's worth, I don't really think anyone ever "deserves" success in sport, whether comparatively to others or not. As you say, there can be people you want to see do well particular because of things they've been through or whatever, but doesn't mean they deserve it more.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

It's interesting.
Definitely not all injuries/conditions are luck
I think Katie Boulter made a really poor decision re that Fed Cup match that put her out of action for so long
Now some will commend her, for commitment to country
I think it was a really bad decision

I also think she made poor coaching decisions for way too long

And we can't just say what works for some doesn't work for others
After all, have the others tried 6 months of going to bed at 9 and zero alcohol?

However, talent 'deserves' success too
It doesn't feed into our puritanical belief that hard work deserves success
If you work incredibly hard at something you have little aptitude for, and where talent matters, you don't deserve success, it's another poor choice

There's a lot of things in the mix