Week 9 - WTA 500 San Diego, CA, USA - Hard

Jan · Hall of fame

Week 9 - WTA 500 San Diego, CA, USA - Hard

Crispy · Strong Club Player

Nix wrote:
This is so good. Shes really consolidating herself in the top 100 and hopefully the top 50! Tough next round though.

She has been incredible since the grass season last year. I've been most impressed by how she has added and spread out her points tally too. Even if she were to have a terrible grass court season, it wouldn't be disastrous for her ranking, which is quite incredible really.

seagull · Hall of fame

If she can do well in IW and Miami she could get a seeding for the French.

SuperT · Futures level

JonH comes home wrote:
Coup Droit wrote:
Ever since young de Minaur came on the scene, our Katie's tennis has just gone from strength the strength

So, so pleased to see it

(Not sure it's a repeatable federation coaching strategy though )
And AdM has benefitted similarly - mutual benefit. Maybe it SHOULD be pushed out to others!?

I totally agree that Alex has been a really positive influence on Katie's progression. But I'm pretty sure that ditching JB has helped as well. It seems to have freed her to play her own style of tennis.

the addict · Tennis legend

seagull wrote:
If she can do well in IW and Miami she could get a seeding for the French.

Certainly looks possible - she's only about 250 points shy on live rankings, with just 28 points to drop before the end of April, although she has a further 118 to defend in May before Roland Garros

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

SuperT wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Coup Droit wrote:
Ever since young de Minaur came on the scene, our Katie's tennis has just gone from strength the strength

So, so pleased to see it

(Not sure it's a repeatable federation coaching strategy though )
And AdM has benefitted similarly - mutual benefit. Maybe it SHOULD be pushed out to others!?

I totally agree that Alex has been a really positive influence on Katie's progression. But I'm pretty sure that ditching JB has helped as well. It seems to have freed her to play her own style of tennis.

Oh, don't get me started smile

I'm 100% sure that getting rid of Jez has been the cataylst - she should have done it ages earlier (but I rather think that parental influence has something to do with it)

But I was looking at the positives and giving Alex his due

indiana · Tennis legend

I know nothing directly about JB's coaching 'abilities' ( though I certainly get the gist of some people's opinions! ), and it would be a shame to.have to some extent wasted quite a number of years. But it is a huge upturn in performance over the last year or two. And while I could always see that Katie could go higher, I have been very pleasantly surprised by the levels she is now reaching and the potential for even more.

I wonder re her general health and that long term issue she had ( chronic fatigue syndrome? ) and whether that has largely / totally been sorted? To be able to practise and play unrestricted would certainly have a big effect.

Var · Pro player

indiana wrote:
I know nothing directly about JB's coaching 'abilities' ( though I certainly get the gist of some people's opinions! ), and it would be a shame to.have to some extent wasted quite a number of years. But it is a huge upturn in performance over the last year or two. And while I could always see that Katie could go higher, I have been very pleasantly surprised by the levels she is now reaching and the potential for even more.

I wonder re her general health and that long term issue she had ( chronic fatigue syndrome? ) and whether that has largely / totally been sorted? To be able to practise and play unrestricted would certainly have a big effect.

I would say she is picking her tournaments more wisely which means she has time to recover.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Yes, but it's also to do with style of play

If you are trying to play a 'do not miss' style of play, you will have longer, harder matches, that take a harder toll on the body

Katie has talked about training with Alex (who is a bit of a run-around return rabbit himself

) and whether it's just confidence, or whether it's direct adivce, she is playing the style of play that was always going to be more suitable to her rather bambi-like physique

LordBrownof · Futures level

I'm also of the view that her movement and defensive skills are much improved - be that post injury it took some time to recover, Alex's influence or, let's face it - her coach, she played some incredible points on the back foot last night, staying in the point and turning it into attack. That has been a big difference for me.

Long may it continue. Based on last night, no reason why she can't get some further wins over the next few weeks.

Tennpar · Strong Club Player

That looked a lovely stylish win from Katie smile

Sadly only got to see highlights on YouTube - thought I'd recorded the correct segment on Sky, but seemingly not, and not for the first time

I'm really missing tennis on Amazon Prime, and the ability to be able to watch matches at convenient times..

Lambda · Challenger level

Tennpar wrote:

That looked a lovely stylish win from Katie
Sadly only got to see highlights on YouTube - thought I'd recorded the correct segment on Sky, but seemingly not, and not for the first time
I'm really missing tennis on Amazon Prime, and the ability to be able to watch matches at convenient times..

You want to get Virgin Media as you can watch any program on most channels that started in the last 7 days at the time of your choosing from the TV guide. I'm really surprised you can't on the Sky platform.

Deucebag · Intermediate Club Player

Wow! Every time I look Katies ranking improved. Keep it going Katie.

9vicman · Satellite level

Coup Droit wrote:
Yes, but it's also to do with style of play

If you are trying to play a 'do not miss' style of play, you will have longer, harder matches, that take a harder toll on the body

Katie has talked about training with Alex (who is a bit of a run-around return rabbit himself ) and whether it's just confidence, or whether it's direct adivce, she is playing the style of play that was always going to be more suitable to her rather bambi-like physique

Do you think Katie has become a more attacking player? I always saw her as quite aggressive rather than a do not miss player.

Crispy · Strong Club Player

Her whole game has improved, and she can live with the pace - but most noticeably, her backhand is now a weapon, and her defence is pretty good.