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

GAMEOVER · Satellite level

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

GAMEOVER · Satellite level

JonH comes home wrote:
Marvellous, what a week for Katie - i do like her, probably my favourite womens player, so pleased to see this. I see shes top 20 in the race now and 30th in the Olympics race, looks like shell be in Paris (twice) this summer!

As far as the singles is concerned at the Olympics I think it will be an academic issue for Katie as it is on clay her least favoured surface.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

GAMEOVER wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Marvellous, what a week for Katie - i do like her, probably my favourite womens player, so pleased to see this. I see shes top 20 in the race now and 30th in the Olympics race, looks like shell be in Paris (twice) this summer!
As far as the singles is concerned at the Olympics I think it will be an academic issue for Katie as it is on clay her least favoured surface.

Well, you never know - players like Tim Henman in 2004 (or whenever it was) suddenly learnt how to play on it. she seems to be learning how to play with her game, from what others have said, and the Olympics draw can be weaker than slams due to to max numbers per country. So I wouldnt write her off!

indiana · Tennis legend

GAMEOVER wrote:
If Katie wins she will have 1,700 ranking points to take her to 27 in the world. However there is currently a big gap between 26 and 27 in terms of ranking points. At the moment Garcia is 26th with 1,920 points and Mertens 27th with 1,646. 274 points between players ranked in the top 20.

C'mon, who could ever have imagined Katie would be in this sort of position just going into March? It is wonderful to see.

Now of course coming into Indian Wells and Miami so some players will have big points to come off and some will add big new points so gaps will close and widen and it be a bit different post Miami.

Not much at all to come off for Katie. Let's hope quite a lot more to add.

jb288 · Satellite level

Only saw part of the Vekic match, but thought Katie was much better against Navarro - so aggressive and consistent in longer rallies; previously you always felt she was quite brittle in longish baseline rallies but now she holds her own. Navarro seemed resigned quite quickly in the second, but lots to like about her game too.

No sign of Biljana here - Anne and that long-haired guy in her corner instead, I forget who he is?

seagull · Hall of fame

I assume that seedings will be based on new rankings so a win for Katie would mean a seeding at IW?

-- Edited by seagull on Sunday 3rd of March 2024 10:42:06 AM

wolf · Tennis legend

The long haired guy they put a caption up saying he was called Damian Rodriguez. I assume it is the same guy who played a few futures last year.

Lambda · Challenger level

Yep. Damian Rodriguez, hitting partner. He had a scholarship at Princeton.

From his videos, I think he helps relax Katie with his jovial persona, which is also probably helping Katie on court.

-- Edited by Lambda on Sunday 3rd of March 2024 10:51:10 AM

Nix · Futures level

jb288 wrote:
Only saw part of the Vekic match, but thought Katie was much better against Navarro - so aggressive and consistent in longer rallies; previously you always felt she was quite brittle in longish baseline rallies but now she holds her own. Navarro seemed resigned quite quickly in the second, but lots to like about her game too.

No sign of Biljana here - Anne and that long-haired guy in her corner instead, I forget who he is?

The conditions were much trickier in the Vekic match. It was very windy and the commentators discussed how the players had to curb their natural game to some extent. Katie said in the interview that she had this argument every day with her coach about unleashing her natural more aggressive game (I took from that that she enjoys being more aggressive). She also said that she had to take some account of the conditions, however, which might explain how she seemed to play differently against Navarro.

dodrade · Futures qualifying

Coup Droit wrote:
Blue_Belle wrote:
De Minaur won the final in Acapulco but is catching a 6am flight so he can try to watch Katie's match court side.
twitter.com/josemorgado/status/1764157616098324902
Well, that will put the kaibosh on everything
Seriously, just get in there, Katie - what a wonderful moment
And proving that a lot of tennis players peak in their late-20s (in fact, age 27 is still the prime from the last figures I saw, although it was coming down slightly so might be 26 by now - but hoping for Katie that she's more of a 28-30 lady )
Wishing her absolutely all the best for the final

Katie would probably have made her breakthrough years ago though were it not for constant injuries and Jeremy Bates. Alex does seem to be a positive influence.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

dodrade wrote:
Coup Droit wrote:
Blue_Belle wrote:
De Minaur won the final in Acapulco but is catching a 6am flight so he can try to watch Katie's match court side.
twitter.com/josemorgado/status/1764157616098324902
Well, that will put the kaibosh on everything
Seriously, just get in there, Katie - what a wonderful moment
And proving that a lot of tennis players peak in their late-20s (in fact, age 27 is still the prime from the last figures I saw, although it was coming down slightly so might be 26 by now - but hoping for Katie that she's more of a 28-30 lady )
Wishing her absolutely all the best for the final
Katie would probably have made her breakthrough years ago though were it not for constant injuries and Jeremy Bates. Alex does seem to be a positive influence.

Yes, probably

But that's maybe part of the 'average' - i.e. taking time to find the right set-up and for the young body to adapt to the rigours of pro sport

And, yes, indeed - Alex should be bottled and handed out as a daily spoonful to all GB players

GAMEOVER · Satellite level

JonH comes home wrote:
GAMEOVER wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Marvellous, what a week for Katie - i do like her, probably my favourite womens player, so pleased to see this. I see shes top 20 in the race now and 30th in the Olympics race, looks like shell be in Paris (twice) this summer!
As far as the singles is concerned at the Olympics I think it will be an academic issue for Katie as it is on clay her least favoured surface.
Well, you never know - players like Tim Henman in 2004 (or whenever it was) suddenly learnt how to play on it. she seems to be learning how to play with her game, from what others have said, and the Olympics draw can be weaker than slams due to to max numbers per country. So I wouldnt write her off!

You forgot to mention Jo Konta on clay in 2019 when she had the brilliant year on clay reaching 2 WTA finals and a semi final in Paris without reaching such heights in prior years or later years. The Olympic draw may in theory be weaker but some great players have won the Olympics such as Steffi, Davenport, Henin and the Williams sisters. It seemed to be forgotten when it came to Wimbledon but Vondrousova was the silver medalist at the last Olympics. In Paris on clay you would expect Swiatek to get the gold .

-- Edited by GAMEOVER on Sunday 3rd of March 2024 01:49:56 PM

GAMEOVER · Satellite level

JonH comes home wrote:
GAMEOVER wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Marvellous, what a week for Katie - i do like her, probably my favourite womens player, so pleased to see this. I see shes top 20 in the race now and 30th in the Olympics race, looks like shell be in Paris (twice) this summer!
As far as the singles is concerned at the Olympics I think it will be an academic issue for Katie as it is on clay her least favoured surface.
Well, you never know - players like Tim Henman in 2004 (or whenever it was) suddenly learnt how to play on it. she seems to be learning how to play with her game, from what others have said, and the Olympics draw can be weaker than slams due to to max numbers per country. So I wouldnt write her off!

Jon I had a look on Tennis Abstract at Katie's career and clay courts are a no no. Her results start from April 2011 and in that time she has only played in 6 clay court tournaments. Two were Roland Garros in failing to qualify in 2018 and 2023.The other 4 were ITF tournaments in 2011,2014, 2020 and 2021. She has 9 wins and 6 losses record. As a comparison Emma has also barely played on clay and never before her US Open win. She played Roland Garros in 2022, Stuttgart in 2022 and 2023. Rome, Madrid and BJ King Cup in 2022. Her record is won 6 lost 6. She had 2 wins at both Madrid and Stuttgart in 2022.

GAMEOVER · Satellite level

seagull wrote:
I assume that seedings will be based on new rankings so a win for Katie would mean a seeding at IW?

-- Edited by seagull on Sunday 3rd of March 2024 10:42:06 AM

It's too soon for IW but Katie will be seeded in Miami.

Rich2310 · County player

I also think her relationship with Alex has had a positive effect on her game.
Some of his success has clearly rubbed off on katie.
They look a great couple. Supporting each other along their tennis journey.
It's lovely to see and hope Katie can grab this title in San Diego.