2017 WTA Premier Birmingham & Mallorca

Who will win Birmingham?

  • Svitolina

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Cibulkova

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Konta

    Votes: 1 25.0%

  • Mladenovic

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Muguruza

    Votes: 2 50.0%

  • Kvitova

    Votes: 1 25.0%

  • Strycova

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Gavrilova

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Barty

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Other?

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    4
  • Poll closed .
Kerber and Halep accept wildcards into Eastbourne next week. Probably trying to make sure Pliskova (who's also playing) doesn't win too many points and therefore narrows her gap between that number 1 ranking.

Kerber is defending finalist points at Wimbledon (1300 pts), Halep defending QF points (430 pts). Pliskova meanwhile only defending 2R points (70 pts).

Kerber currently at 6965 pts, Halep on 6850, Pliskova on 6386.

Tight at the top.
 
Aussie Darcy said:
Kerber and Halep accept wildcards into Eastbourne next week. Probably trying to make sure Pliskova (who's also playing) doesn't win too many points and therefore narrows her gap between that number 1 ranking.

Kerber is defending finalist points at Wimbledon (1300 pts), Halep defending QF points (430 pts). Pliskova meanwhile only defending 2R points (70 pts).

Kerber currently at 6965 pts, Halep on 6850, Pliskova on 6386.

Tight at the top.
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Very odd though considering all 3 withdrew from Birmingham this week yet are fit for Eastbourne next week... One of them sure, hell maybe 2 but all of the 3? Magical turn around.
 
I think that also means that the number 1 ranking is in play next week with both Kerber and Halep playing and only 115 points between them at the moment. I don't believe any points are coming off as we would be in the equivalent of week 1 of Wimbledon last year. Pliskova can't quite get there but it's all about Wimbledon.
 
(4th post in a row, oh well).

This is pretty crazy. Siniakova had the better stats in EVERY aspect. More aces, less double faults, more winners, less unforced errors, etc yet LOST the match.

DC2O8TrVoAIJcoM.jpg:large
 
Lisicki could bagel this girl in under 20 minutes potentially.

Was up 5-0 0-40 on Rogers' serve, didn't really get a ball into play after that. 5-1, bagel denied :(
 
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Well played, Lucie.
Onwards and upwards!

Not impressed with Azarenka, her ball wasn't skidding off the grass as usual, but just sitting there waiting to be bashed. Still early days in her comeback, though. Let's see what she has in store.
 
Also, fantastic win for Ash Barty over Strycova! I think that might be her best ever victory in terms of her opponents ranking. Strycova is ranked #22 in the world. Big win.

Barty into the QF of a Premier tournament (I have a feeling that might be a first for her?).

Great for her ranking, jumps 7 spots to a new career high of #70. Faces the winner of Svitolina/Giorgi.
 
FakeEmpire said:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/20/...-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well

That part about ball kids is remarkably candid.
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Yes, especially coming from someone as self-centered as her. But "motherhood" is a miracle in a lot of ways. I've only seen 2 players ever say thanks to ball kids (Lisicki & Bacsinszky). I remember mother-of-the-year blowing her nose into her towel, then throwing it to a ball kid once. I remembered thinking: classy. She'll be doing that again by the time her kid starts walking. Guaranteed.
 
I gave Giorgi little chance against Svitolina. She must have had one of her on days.

If she got a different coach she could have an impact.
 
sportmac said:
I gave Giorgi little chance against Svitolina. She must have had one of her on days.

If she got a different coach she could have an impact.
Click to expand...

It was not a completely on day. In the second set, she went a double break down despite making Svitolina's serve games a long-drawn affair. But when the opportunities arose, Giorgi had to miss her shots by miles. It wouldn't be a Giorgi match without that. I've no idea how she played in the third set, though.
 
FakeEmpire said:
It was not a completely on day. In the second set, she went a double break down despite making Svitolina's serve games a long-drawn affair. But when the opportunities arose, Giorgi had to miss her shots by miles. It wouldn't be a Giorgi match without that. I've no idea how she played in the third set, though.
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I didn't catch it so missed her ups and downs. I've watched her practice at the Washington, DC tournament. She practices the same as she plays, a series of bullets - she can crack the ball.
 
Garbie good success at net so far, but I wish she'd go a bit bigger on the groundies. Actually feel like she'd make less errors ballbashing, because one good shot is about good enough to win points on grass. Longer rally means more opportunities to goof up. And if I recall some of the previous grass court tourney winners in WTA, ballbashers have won a handful. Keys, Giorgi, Kontaveit last week.
 
Riske defence .. defence and more defence .. a lot of errors starting to creep up on muguruza

:) muguruza actually doesn't mug it up .. nice serving to win it
 
Bad start of the match for Azarenka. Konjuh's being clearly more aggressive and Azarenka isn't exactly helping herself with some UFE.

Konjuh up 5-0 now.
 
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FakeEmpire said:
Bad start of the match for Azarenka. Konjuh's being clearly more aggressive and Azarenka isn't exactly helping herself with some UFE.

Konjuh up 5-0 now.
Click to expand...
Crap. When is the WTA coming out with their streaming service? All I have is BeIN sports through Sling TV and I get one match at a time. Mladenovice is in a battle with Zhang but I want to watch Vika.
 
FakeEmpire said:
Bad start of the match for Azarenka. Konjuh's being clearly more aggressive and Azarenka isn't exactly helping herself with some UFE.

Konjuh up 5-0 now.
Click to expand...
I'm watching Fed match, but this kinda makes sense. Soembody said Azarenka dropping ball short in her 1st round match. Konjuh can blast the ball, and if she's getting short balls to eat up + grass = Azarenka gonna have a bad time.
 
sportmac said:
Crap. When is the WTA coming out with their streaming service? All I have is BeIN sports through Sling TV and I get one match at a time. Mladenovice is in a battle with Zhang but I want to watch Vika.
Click to expand...

I don't know. I'm watching it on an "unofficial" stream. But it actually got worse. Vika is now down 6/1 4/3, wih Konjuh serving, but she managed to get one break back at least.

fundrazer said:
I'm watching Fed match, but this kinda makes sense. Soembody said Azarenka dropping ball short in her 1st round match. Konjuh can blast the ball, and if she's getting short balls to eat up + grass = Azarenka gonna have a bad time.
Click to expand...

Yes, that's roughly what's happening. Konjuh blasted more than 20 winners and at times Vika is resembling Radwanska watching the balls flying by. On top of that, she's failing a fair amount of shots (sometimes by miles). But she showed her older self on some points.

EDIT: Konjuh won 6/1 6/3, breaking Azarenka again. Her serve was another liability today.
 
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fundrazer said:
I'm watching Fed match, but this kinda makes sense. Soembody said Azarenka dropping ball short in her 1st round match. Konjuh can blast the ball, and if she's getting short balls to eat up + grass = Azarenka gonna have a bad time.
Click to expand...
Yep, Konjuh is another one of the young heavy hitters. I think she's still only 19 too.
 
Yep, my initial impression that Vika's shots weren't skidding through the grass was correct. They're just sitting up waiting for a ball-basher on a good day to smack them.
I'm still quite sceptic of this "Azarenka will return to save tennis" thing. I don't think it was ever true.
 
MarcusInKensington said:
Does anyone else find themselves watching Mladenovic's legs, and not really watching the tennis whenever she plays?
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Ah ah ah! I've gotta say I love how people here (mostly men, I assume) are fascinated with legs. My real life experience is quite different. People tend to profess their adoration for another body parts.
 
Svitolina is talking like she may skip Wimbly with a foot injury to be ready for the hardcourt season.
 
ScentOfDefeat said:
Is Pat Cash coaching Vandeweghe? He was clapping all the way through the match when she played a good point.
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Yes I think I saw an announcement about them hooking up.

She'll be a tough one for Mugu tomorrow. Coco got her in straight sets in Australia I think. Don't remember if it was much of a contested match though.
 
It looks like the proponents of the idea that the WTA was just "on hold" until the real champions - Sharapova and Azarenka - made their glorious return to the game (to once again reclaim the top spots and dominate the tour) don't have much to base their assumptions on so far.
 
ScentOfDefeat said:
Is Pat Cash coaching Vandeweghe? He was clapping all the way through the match when she played a good point.
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Yep, I posted this a while back. Their first match together was in Hertogenbosch where Coco was the defending champ, she lost 1R. Not a good start but doing better now.
 
Quarterfinals:

Birmingham:
Safarova v #9 Gavrilova
#5 Mladenovic v #7 Kvitova
#6 Muguruza v Vandeweghe
Barty v Qualifier Giorgi

Not bad considering the top 3 seeds fell 1st or 2nd round. No shame in their losses though, Safarova former top 10 & a slam finalist, Giorgi former top 30, CoCo current top 30 & Aus Open SFist.

Mallorca:
Gorges v Lisicki
Bellis v Kristyna Pliskova
Vinci v Cepelova/Garcia
Konjuh v Sevastova

Pretty much a typical International lineup. Dissapointing that Vika didn't make it but was only her first tournament back in a year.
 
That last game in the Safarova/Gavrilova match only needed Falkor to be a worthy NeverEnding Story sequel.

latest


EDIT: Gavrilova won the tiebreak 7/4 after a very bad start from Safarova (Gavrilova almost achieved a tiebreak bagel).
 
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I something wrong with Pliskova? Bellis thrashed her, and it looked like she had completely given up when Bellis served for the match. Just an off day? Certainly, with players who live on winners, they can die on errors.
 
ScentOfDefeat said:
It looks like the proponents of the idea that the WTA was just "on hold" until the real champions - Sharapova and Azarenka - made their glorious return to the game (to once again reclaim the top spots and dominate the tour) don't have much to base their assumptions on so far.
Click to expand...

Don't worry, they'll do better eventually. They both have something the majority of the current women don't have and that's a never say die attitude and champion's mentality. Azarenka was never that strong on a grass surface. I'm sure she'll do better on hc.
 
Lucieeee! She was stupendous! Winning the second set after squandering many chances to win the first one and after playing an admittedly bad tiebreak, breaking Gavrilova while she was serving for the match and recovering from a mini-break two times (I think) with some stunning shots... The woman couldn't be denied today.
But I commend Gavrilova for a well played and hard-fought match too. Those two first points in the last tiebreak were gorgeous.
 
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