2018 Miami Open - WTA Premier Mandatory

Who will win?

  • Total voters
    27
  • Poll closed .
Happy for Sloan to win another title and this time it is a 1000! She should move up to around 6-7 in the world when the new ranking is release on Monday! I think it better to win a title and loose 8 or 9 straight 1st round matches again just to get the media heads going! LOL!
 
Sloane seems to have finally found her mojo and is starting to rack up other big titles following her US Open win 6 months ago. If she can stay consistent, she's going to be a threat to everyone everywhere!
 
FakeEmpire said:
NewYearsEve.png
Click to expand...
If it makes you feel better I have a terrible hangover and I’m heading to work in a few hours
 
Mainad said:
Sloane seems to have finally found her mojo and is starting to rack up other big titles following her US Open win 6 months ago. If she can stay consistent, she's going to be a threat to everyone everywhere!
Click to expand...
It’s crazy, she has no points to defend until August. If she does well on clay and grass, top 3 could be possible.
 
If I'm not mistaken, Sloane beat four grand slam champions to win this title. Not too shabby, really, even if her play didn't always look world-beating.

Sloane can still be more passive than I prefer, but it appeared to be the right approach today. Good on her - she's having some impressive results since coming back from her injury.
 
FakeEmpire said:
I must confess I feel a little vindicated for having given Sloane some leeway right after her USO win. I understand people frustration at WTA's inconsistency and the arguments used by them over here at the time, but my point of view was not so outlandish after all.

Regarding Ostapenko, I've said it a thousand times and I'll say it a thousand more: she has to improve that serve. She can improve some aspects about her groundstrokes too (she can add some variety, use the net even more, be more patient...), but the serve is the big issue here.
Click to expand...

She thinks her serve is good, so go figure. I personally couldn't agree more but it also takes somebody with Stephens' tactical acumen to exploit that serve. She just parked the return in all sorts of odd places rather than trying to blast it (which is just feeding more fire to the dragon). There is so much more imagination in Stephens' game compared to even far more experienced players on the WTA circuit, say players like Azarenka. Oh, and that baseline 'volley' she came up with, only Venus or Serena could have hit that. Stephens is kinda like the Andy Murray of WTA (in the sense that Murray plays very smart and doesn't just become a human backboard a la Woz) and without a Big Three equivalent to outsmart and outplay her, should go a very long way. At least...I have been hoping and I would be lying if I said I didn't find the last few months disappointing. But it was probably worth it in the end.
 
Charleston and Monterrey this week. Great field at Charleston. Monterrey is a bit weak but has Muguruza.

Can someone do a thread? I’m off to work. I’ll be quite inactive for the next 2 weeks aswell as I’m volunteering for the Commonwealth Games.
 
Dolgopolov85 said:
... Stephens' tactical acumen ... She just parked the return in all sorts of odd places rather than trying to blast it (which is just feeding more fire to the dragon). There is so much more imagination in Stephens' game compared to even far more experienced players on the WTA circuit, say players like Azarenka. ...
Click to expand...
Agree with much of what's stated about Sloane, but wouldn't you admit she's much more of a defensive player, GETS HERSELF INTO DEFENSIVE SITUATIONS, defence, defence, defence, and wins points based on her opponents' unforced errors? IMO there's absolutely nothing wrong with this - it especially fits the bill given Sloane's stamina. Finally, when the time is right Sloane switches things up, starts hitting angles, and then finally winners.
 
Last edited:
LaZeR said:
Agree with much of what's stated about Sloane, but wouldn't you admit she's much more of a defensive player, GETS HERSELF INTO DEFENSIVE SITUATIONS, defence, defence, defence, and wins points based on her opponents' unforced errors? IMO there's absolutely nothing wrong with this - it especially fits the bill given Sloane's stamina. Finally, when the time is right Sloane switches things up, starts hitting angles, and then finally winners.
Click to expand...

Well, for one, I don't think that is a bad thing in today's tennis. The defence is a shield and when you have a strong defence, you're telling the opponent, "Let me see you hit a ball past me." It's what Nadalovic do for a living. Ostapenko's game is low percentage but because most of the WTA plays a low percentage game, they struggle to exploit this. Those on the WTA who do play high percentage defence like Wozniacki or Kerber don't have the variation on their groundies that Stephens has. They give rhythm which is manna for Ostapenko. Stephens mixed up slow 3/4 loopers with low cross courts dragging Ostapenko well out of court. Related to that, I don't think Stephens plays the same kind of match against everyone. Her approach was quite different and more aggressive against Azarenka. That she has more than one kind of game is itself impressive; she is able to adjust to the opponent and not just be like "I will play my own game and see where it gets me".
 
Sloane is smart. As smart as Serena on court. Sometimes out of say 10 things, you have a base of 4 and a random 3 others to work with on a particular day, so you put that together and find a way to make it work for that day. Ostapenko's swashbuckling fiery style and cannon power does not overwhelm her at all. Sloane's game gives me the impression of lots of colours. I notice how good she is at shaping and shading her stroke, she uses different colours and colour intensities and colour patterns on her shots. Ostapenko/Kvitova are descendants of the ball striker era of the Venus/First Era Serena/Davenport legacy, itself descended from the Monica Seles legacy. But players like Sloane, Osaka, Kasatkina are descended from the Second Era Serena legacy; ATP style tactical rallying, run and gun > gun and gun. We have two competitive but entwined and supplementary lineages making for lots of fun, lively contests.
 
Dolgopolov85 said:
She thinks her serve is good, so go figure. I personally couldn't agree more but it also takes somebody with Stephens' tactical acumen to exploit that serve. She just parked the return in all sorts of odd places rather than trying to blast it (which is just feeding more fire to the dragon). There is so much more imagination in Stephens' game compared to even far more experienced players on the WTA circuit, say players like Azarenka. Oh, and that baseline 'volley' she came up with, only Venus or Serena could have hit that. Stephens is kinda like the Andy Murray of WTA (in the sense that Murray plays very smart and doesn't just become a human backboard a la Woz) and without a Big Three equivalent to outsmart and outplay her, should go a very long way. At least...I have been hoping and I would be lying if I said I didn't find the last few months disappointing. But it was probably worth it in the end.
Click to expand...

She does? Sweet mother of God...
To tell the truth, blasting the return may actually be an acceptable option against that serve of hers too. Venus was doing it at Wimbledon and it worked pretty well, but I get your point.
 
Soianka said:
I have a hard time imagining Naomi beating Serena even though she probably should.

But if she's able to beat Serena in a competitive match, I'll bet that Naomi will win a slam this year.
Click to expand...

I remember this post. Should have a credit.

Some posters on the other forum were also saying the same about Osaka after Indian Wells.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Aussie Darcy
  • Poll Poll
2018 Indian Wells - WTA Premier Mandatory
32 33 34
Replies
2K
Views
66K
Marius_Hancu
Marius_Hancu
Aussie Darcy
  • Poll Poll
2017 Miami Open. WTA Premier Mandatory.
17 18 19
Replies
930
Views
30K
Peters
Peters
Aussie Darcy
  • Poll Poll
2018 Dubai Tennis Championships - WTA Premier
2 3 4
Replies
175
Views
8K
spystud
spystud
Aussie Darcy
  • Poll Poll
2017 WTA Premier Birmingham & Mallorca
2 3 4
Replies
180
Views
9K
Aussie Darcy
Aussie Darcy
Aussie Darcy
  • Poll Poll
2018 Qatar Open - WTA Premier 5
8 9 10
Replies
463
Views
20K
SystemicAnomaly
SystemicAnomaly
Back
Top