2014 IW 4R - Simona Halep vs. Genie Bouchard

[Marius_Hancu]

This is going to be, I predict, a hotly contested match of two of the future stars of the WTA.

Halep having recently won the most important title of her career and having become #7.

Genie Bouchard having been in the AO SF, and finally getting the advice from the Doctor and changing the skirt

Hope nothing but Stadium 1 or 2 in prime time would do for the organizers.

Your take (on the outcome of the match)?

 

[Team10]

This should be a great match, I'm going with Genie in 3. Hoping for a Sharapova vs. Bouchard final.

Btw, no pictures? This match thread is definitely worthy of some :wink:

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Btw, no pictures? This match thread is definitely worthy of some :wink:

The Doctor looked around in his fuzzy Tennis Web, and found some that should appeal even to the pessimistic

 

[Smasher08]

Great matchup with plenty of implications for the near term future.

I think Genie will eke it out, but I fully expect Halep to take it to her.

 

[Bud]

Hopefully, this match will live up to the hype

 

[ttbrowne]

Go Simona!

 

[Steve0904]

My take is that the shorter skirt is awesome! . Oh you meant the outcome of the match? I'll say Bouchard in 3.

 

[Recoveringhobo]

Two of the most promising up-and-coming players.

Halep is the more consistent player by far (in terms of wins) whereas Bouchard has the big serve and model-like looks. Nothing special about her game in my opinion.

Halep with an easy two sets.

 

[jaggy]

Some healthy opinions

 

[rh310]

I would have said Halep in 2, but then I watched Genie's last match. She can play.

Halep in 3.

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Great result for the Canadian Fed Cup team stalwart, Aleksandra Wozniak, to also qualify at IW 2014 in the 4th round:

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 1 7 0
Aleksandra Wozniak 6 6 6

I guess this is the first time Canada has two players (Bouchard is the 2nd, of course) in the 4th round of a top WTA premier event.

 

[Niou]

Bouchard will be future top 3 so I'm going to say she wins this game in 2.

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Damn: no center court, no prime time
These guys don't know what's good for them.

Stadium 2 Start 11:00 am PST

[6] Simona Halep (ROU)
v
[18] Eugenie Bouchard (CAN)

 

[skygrinder45]

At least it's streamable on espn3!

 

[Luckydog]

Eugenie will win this battle

 

[Artanis]

Simona will, obviously..

 

[Marcel Granoller Bar]

Halep's defence is pathetic. That could prevent her from the Slams.
Infact GB is more dogged defensive, and can hit those awkward hacks.

Halep's offence is surprisingly gr8 for a smaller player.

GB has the obvious height and power, but her mental toughness is her best potential.
However on talent alone see greater promise from Halep, Murugutza & Tomiclaijivanovic.

 

[pound cat]

I have watched all of Bouchards matches at IW and she is playing high quality, consistent tennis.

The tall blonde wearing a skirt in 3.

 

[tipsa...don'tlikehim!]

I am surprised seeing so many votes for Bouchard i don't have a clue about WTA but i thought Halep was one of the best players of the year so far ?

 

[Marius_Hancu]

To win, Halep must do what Li Na did to Bouchard at the AO: fluster her with angled power and mastery of the geometry

To win, Bouchard must do what Cibulkova did to Halep at the AO: fluster her with unerring, unrelenting power

The easier flustered will lose

I'd say that Doha shows Halep in great form, and it will take something very special from Bouchard to beat her. But Bouchard's been improving in leaps and bounds.

In betting it's #2 vs #7 favorite (to win the tourney) on some sites.

Huge stakes, as this tourney is up for grabs, and the winner here can easier beat both Davis and Radwanska (tricky, I know, but Halep suffocated her in their last match) for the final.

 

[Ico]

The winner of this match could very well win the whole tournament.

Davis -> Aga -> Li/Stephens (lol)

 

[Duncan Bell]

Don't know why, as I'm really high on Halep, but I'm taking Genie in 3.

 

[ScentOfDefeat]

Don't know why, as I'm really high on Halep, but I'm taking Genie in 3.

Same here. Halep is my favorite player of the two but I think Bouchard is more composed mentally. The scary thing about Bouchard is that she has a great personality for the game and when her actual tennis improves she'll be very hard to beat. She has a lot of time to become a better player but already possesses the main differential weapon to triumph on the WTA: the right attitude. Halep, on the other hand, is like a whirlwind. Only time will tell if I'm right but I think she'll have a very short and dominant peak, whereas Bouchard seems to be someone who will mature slowly and stay at the top in the long term. This match is interesting because we get to see if Halep's whirlwind of confidence will blow Bouchard off the court, or if Bouchard's slow progressive steps towards greatness are enough at this point in time to frustrate Halep and squeeze out a win.

 

[Wynter]

I like Halep, only watched her a few times but there's something about her I like

I'll back her in 3

 

[Duncan Bell]

Same here. Halep is my favorite player of the two but I think Bouchard is more composed mentally. The scary thing about Bouchard is that she has a great personality for the game and when her actual tennis improves she'll be very hard to beat. She has a lot of time to become a better player but already possesses the main differential weapon to triumph on the WTA: the right attitude. Halep, on the other hand, is like a whirlwind. Only time will tell if I'm right but I think she'll have a very short and dominant peak, whereas Bouchard seems to be someone who will mature slowly and stay at the top in the long term. This match is interesting because we get to see if Halep's whirlwind of confidence will blow Bouchard off the court, or if Bouchard's slow progressive steps towards greatness are enough at this point in time to frustrate Halep and squeeze out a win.

That's very interesting. Not sure I agree, but can definitely see your logic. I'd say the biggest weapon on the WTA is not attitude by mental fortitude. I guess Bouchard is showing signs of that.

 

[ScentOfDefeat]

That's very interesting. Not sure I agree, but can definitely see your logic. I'd say the biggest weapon on the WTA is not attitude by mental fortitude. I guess Bouchard is showing signs of that.

Oh, I agree. I probably didn't make myself very clear but I was relating mental fortitude to attitude. Great players like Graf or Serena have winning attitudes because of their mental fortitude. And I think mental strength is also an attitude, a way of being on court.

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Genie's too slow for now, and overwhelmed as a result.
Those splits and small steps better be there quick.
3-0 Halep

 

[jaggy]

Beat down in progress

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Amazing crosscourt rally won by Halep with great angle.
Bouchard has started to return better.
4-0 Halep

I'd say Genie needs to start moving feet and to keep balls much longer in play.
5-0

 

[Smasher08]

Beat down in progress

Indeed. Hats off to her.

 

[romeo8880]

The winner of this match could very well win the whole tournament.

Davis -> Aga -> Li/Stephens (lol)

Think you meant Li/Kvitova...

 

[jaggy]

Well that came out of nowhere, 1-5

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Bouchard has recovered a bit her motion and breaks back, after a DF by Halep, who might be stressed too.

Good serving by Bouchard for 5-2 Halep.

Halep is going to serve again for the set. Major test for both.

6-2 Halep, not without some emotion, as Bouchard returns better. But when Halep jiggles her from one corner to other, B is not quite there.

Watch Bouchard feet: major lack of split stepping. I guess it's mental today, but ...

 

[sadowsk2]

The Canuck May be starting to get on a roll... Got a break and a hold back. Go Halep!

 

[sadowsk2]

Halep needs to hold here before the momentum really turns...

 

[Artanis]

Bouchard has nothing to hurt Halep (yet), let's be serious.
Simona moves way better and basically has no weak wings. Only maybe to overpower her, but is just not the case today, Bouchard not consistent enough.

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Halep breaks 1-0 in the 2nd.

DF Halep 15-40!!, broken 1-1
against run of play
there's hope for Bouchard here

2-1 Bouchard after some good serving and rallies. Halep makes mistakes here.

Average quality game here.

Great BH return from Bouchard, a good side of her game.

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Bouchard has woken up here and broken Halep with great, forceful shots 3-1.

Finally a match, and Halep needs to raise again her level.

 

[Ironwood]

Bouchard breaks again to go up 3-1 in the second. She can look awesome one rally and not so good the next. Consistency will come with time. She has right stuff to build on her game.

 

[Ironwood]

Genie taking control....but can she stay consistent. She needs a lot of work on that first serve.

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Power from Bouchard and movement from Halep: this is the balance now

Halep is slower now: the heat? And the heat from Bouchard?

The balance/edge is with Bouchard now: has broken Halep 4 out of 5 now!!
5-1 Bouchard; let's get ready for the 3rd.

Bouchard takes the 2nd 6-1.

I'd say Bouchard has already overachieved, and Halep underachieved with this 1-1 in sets.
Halep hasn't been able to move Bouchard around thus much, because of the power in B's returns.

 

[Ironwood]

One all in sets...nice work from Bouchard. First serve looked a little more consistent in that last game! If she can pull this off, she has a chance to go deep in this tourney!

 

[jaggy]

Genie has done a great job here, she looked well beaten.

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Halep complained in prev match of heat.
She needs to train for it!

Halep finally holds again a service for 1-0 in the 3rd.
Good hold by Bouchard with powerful serving 1-1

Finally, both are playing well now
2-1 Halep on serve

 

[Artanis]

Yeah, a bit of a roller coaster here, as unforced errors number increases. I predicted a three setter, but nothing like that

 

[Smasher08]

Excellent turnaround. Glad to see the match is living up to expectations!

 

[Marius_Hancu]

Great serving by Bouchard on both sides to save some BPs 2-2
Great serving and angles from Halep for 3-2.
Great serving from B for 3-3

First break might be the end.

 

[Ironwood]

Genie is keeping pace!

 

[Smasher08]

Start of a future rivalry??

 

[Duncan Bell]

Impressive stuff from both girls - haven't seen Halep defence like this before.