British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

Sheddie wrote:

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A very entertaining match with both players going for broke at times. The level particularly early on in the first set was sky high, very little between them with Zheng relying on huge serves to get out of trouble. Emma came out swinging and blasting forehand winners.

Credit to Zheng, she is the Olympic champion and came up with some clutch tennis when she needed it.

Even though the second set score was closer, I actually felt Emma's level dropped off after the first set. She wasn't serving as well - missing more first serves and going more for spin than power, which made it easier for Zheng to retrieve the two breaks after her mini lapse.

Suspect that was related to the back problems which seem to be holding Emma back at the moment. When fully fit and striking the ball as she was in the first set, she's certainly capable of winning some titles on grass

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 I wish I could share your optimism but sadly right now I can't. Emma is clearly struggling, yet again, with a fitness issue. In here previous match she went off court in between sets and she clearly said to the umpire, "ice for my back".

There's no doubt she's a decent player and has great movement but with her ever ongoing fitness issues and frankly a bit of a lack of power in her all round game I think it is more than likely that each time she comes up against a top player who can hit the ball harder than her she will be lose.

She is still too passive at times and gives her opponents too many half court balls which with the best players are just swatted away. In fact most times she's come up against a top player she's lost pretty easily.

If she gets a kind draw at Wimbledon  then she might reach the second week but unseeded she could get anyone and a first round exit would be just as likely as a good run.

If she is out of Berlin then if I were her I wouldn't want to risk my back playing Eastbourne a week before Wimbledon.