British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

DavidC · Tennis legend

Boys & Girls: 2025 US Open (week 36)

Var · Futures qualifying

DavidC wrote:
Although I didn't see the match I imagine that Oli may have benefited from playing a transitioning junior where he could focus on his own big game and shortish points, and not be messed around like with some of the 'junior' players who he has lost to in previous slams. He next plays last week's Repentigny champion, yet to drop a set here.

Boys R3

(14) Oliver Bonding d. (2) Andres Santamaria Roig (ESP) 6-3 6-4

QF

Luis Guto Miguel (BRA) v (14) Oliver Bonding

Oli gave a post match interview on court and attributed his success to his senior experience such as Roehampton, how he had developed during the grass season and as this was his last junior slam, just going for it!

Var · Futures qualifying

Just watching Mika, and just having watched Hannah, you can see that Mika is still relatively slim and lithe by comparison whereas Hannah is more athletic and seems to have been building upper body strength.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

paulisi wrote:
Hannah was very good in that final set against a very decent opponent.

Really? I didn't think 'very good' at all - but she got the job done, despite lots of UEs, and being well behind the ball which caused her a lot of problems - the shot after the serve was causing her ungodly problems, especially when the ball came onto her

And her opponent has had very mediorcre results and performances recently - if she looked good today, it was because Hannah allowed her to be good.

But there is certainly a good shout for being able to win ugly. And Hannah did that yesterday. And again today. And, given she says that juniors is just about practice, not winning, she's managed to win her way to the QFs, and that's great biggrin

DavidC · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
paulisi wrote:
Hannah was very good in that final set against a very decent opponent.
Really? I didn't think 'very good' at all - but she got the job done, despite lots of UEs, and being well behind the ball which caused her a lot of problems - the shot after the serve was causing her ungodly problems, especially when the ball came onto her
And her opponent has had very mediorcre results and performances recently - if she looked good today, it was because Hannah allowed her to be good.
But there is certainly a good shout for being able to win ugly. And Hannah did that yesterday. And again today. And, given she says that juniors is just about practice, not winning, she's managed to win her way to the QFs, and that's great

Colette (Zootennis) quoted Hannah on the subject of winning ugly yesterday - perhaps she will recycle the quote today:

"One of the major improvements Klugman sees in her game now compared to a year ago, is an ability to win ugly, as she did today, although the third set was at a much higher level than the first two.

"I was struggling to get through matches not playing well," said Klugman, the Roland Garros girls finalist this year. "Like today, I wasn't playing well, but I found a way to win, and to have that attribute is massive. I couldn't accept playing badly, and if I played badly, I'd lose. I couldn't find a way to win, but now I'm finding ways.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Mika had a few issues early on with her opponent mixing up her game and giving Mika little time to swing or tucking her up.
Mika is starting to come back into it now

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Enjoying Jeremy Bates' pained expression

paulisi · Tennis legend

Mika is really set up for junior tennis, power and hitting clean winners, but is very one dimensional and will need to adapt her game at senior level.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

paulisi wrote:
Mika is really set up for junior tennis, power and hitting clean winners, but is very one dimensional and will need to adapt her game at senior level.

She'll need to adapt her game for junior tennis at this rate too

PaulM · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
Enjoying Jeremy Bates' pained expression

As she pushes her way to defeat in tight moments as per his instructions to "just not miss".

(This may not happen, but it's his usual approach and outcome. His ability to instill a desire not to lose rather than a will to win in the girls he works with us unparalleled.)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

PaulM wrote:
Coup Droit wrote:
Enjoying Jeremy Bates' pained expression
As she pushes her way to defeat in tight moments as per his instructions to "just not miss".

(This may not happen, but it's his usual approach and outcome. His ability to instill a desire not to lose rather than a will to win in the girls he works with us unparalleled.)

Yes, it might work - as it might work here

But it really kills people

I've been next to him doing this

Var · Futures qualifying

Well Mika dugnthat one out. Was 0-4 in the final set but managed to pull back and win it 7-5. Glimpses of how well she can play but still not back to her best. At least she is going in the right direction.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Mika sneaked through.
Cut down the errors and her opponent struggled at the back end

PaulM · Tennis legend

All hail JB tactical genius

Jajon · Club Coach

I always thought Mika had more of a game that could transition well to the seniors, no? Aka shes an aggressive baseliner not one of the juniors who can just run for days? Or is that not fair assessment?