Sharapova - Halep Cincinnati 2014 WTA QF

Who's going to win this grudge match?

  • Total voters
    11
Marius_Hancu

Marius_Hancu

Talk Tennis Guru
Who is going to take this huge match?

Not in a Grand Slam, but leading to one, and in a Top Premier event, lots of points and money ....

Sharapova is 4-0 career with Halep, but they've never met on HC since Halep started this huge run. However, she beat her on clay this year, including that great final at Roland Garros, which I'm sure holds a high place in their memories.

Halep might not be running on all cylinders yet, after taking a break after her Wimbledon with her ankle misfortunes, still a great result to be in the SF, and the Bucharest win. However, the British commentators suspect she might have done a hard physical training block, as she's got more muscle: she registered several aces today with Safarova.

Sharapova went out early in Montreal, to that technical marvel called Carla Suarez Navarro, so brilliant she hasn't quite yet been since Roland Garros.

Sharapova-Cincinnati-2014-3.jpg


Hey, you upstart! Get this!

1408041214000-Halep.jpg


Lemme take care of you this time!​
 
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R

RidAH

New User
Midaso240 said:
Either Halep in 2 or Sharapova in 3,hope it's the latter
Click to expand...

This. First set is almost guaranteed for Halep :)

But of course she has a small chance at taking the third but, as always, it's all on Masha's racquet.

Gotta say I'm impressed with Halep on HC. Her game looks very optimal as far as the risk/reward ratio is concerned.
 
Marius_Hancu

Marius_Hancu

Talk Tennis Guru
In betting, these QFs are very tight

Sharapova Halep
Radwanska Wozniacki

about 1.80 to 2 for the first player.
 
swordtennis

swordtennis

G.O.A.T.
Good god I would love to line drive a brick directly into that wide open gaping mouth and knock out all those teeth. Halep in 3.
 
T

Tcbtennis

Hall of Fame
swordtennis said:
Good god I would love to line drive a brick directly into that wide open gaping mouth and knock out all those teeth. Halep in 3.
Click to expand...

I do not wish any violence upon Maria but when I see those pictures with her mouth open and I know what's coming out of it,... I understand. :)
 
Marius_Hancu

Marius_Hancu

Talk Tennis Guru
Halep, just like Bouchard (or Muguruza, my classy preferred), doesn't quite have plan B. After losing the advantage in the 2nd set, she should have started to slice, to dropshot, to come now and then to the net, mess Sharapova with variety a la Federer. But no one is Federer.

Let's see if she's able to prevail after losing the 2nd set after leading 2-0 in it.

Sharapova has: hit harder and fight harder -- that's her plan B.

It seems to Halep plan B is just to get calmer: she leads 2-0 in the 3rd, but Sharapova will attack that for sure.

0-40 already 3 BPs.

On serve 2-1 Halep in the 3rd.
Now 3-2. This is good, because this is where Sharapova should have made already her move.
 
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Marius_Hancu

Marius_Hancu

Talk Tennis Guru
Sharapova deserves the win.

Halep really doesn't have the plan B: playing high topspin all the time and long, no slices, no dropshots, no volleys, just feeds and oils Sharapova's machine the longer the match goes on.

Halep is coached by a Belgian to play like Clijsters, when she really needed someone to teach her to be more Henin. She's not a howitzer.
 
A

Avionics

New User
Marius_Hancu said:
Halep, just like Bouchard (or Muguruza, my classy preferred), doesn't quite have plan B. After losing the advantage in the 2nd set, she should have started to slice, to dropshot, to come now and then to the net, mess Sharapova with variety a la Federer. But no one is Federer.

Let's see if she's able to prevail after losing the 2nd set after leading 2-0 in it.

Sharapova has: hit harder and fight harder -- that's her plan B.

It seems to Halep plan B is just to get calmer: she leads 2-0 in the 3rd, but Sharapova will attack that for sure.

0-40 already 3 BPs.

On serve 2-1 Halep in the 3rd.
Now 3-2. This is good, because this is where Sharapova should have made already her move.
Click to expand...
I think it wasn't about a plan B here. It was about her service which was catastrophic. (catastrofal in romaneste ).
 
cc0509

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
Marius_Hancu said:
Sharapova deserves the win.

Halep really doesn't have the plan B: playing high topspin all the time and long, no slices, no dropshots, no volleys, just feeds and oils Sharapova's machine the longer the match goes on.

Halep is coached by a Belgian to play like Clijsters, when she really needed someone to teach her to be more Henin. She's not a howitzer.
Click to expand...

Halep wishes she was as good as Clijsters or Henin. She is nowhere near either of those players.
 
Marius_Hancu

Marius_Hancu

Talk Tennis Guru
Avionics said:
I think it wasn't about a plan B here. It was about her service which was catastrophic. (catastrofal in romaneste ).
Click to expand...

That's one part of the story, but not the only one.

She feeds the opposition the same ball all the time. And it's the ball that Sharapova likes: long, high most of the times, heavy, just topspin. Sooner or later, the cannon is going to learn to return your ball with interest (which she did in the 2nd set).

No slices today, 1 failed dropshot, no volleys. And she talks about introducing variety in her game. Talk is cheap -- do it in practice, with other opponents (I didn't see that), then with Sharapova or Serena too.

I mean, she played three times Sharapova this year, but I haven't seen an iota of strategic change during this time. It was a little bit better at the end today in that she was calmer and she fought harder, but it was too late.

It's her problem to think on the court and re-orientate her game depending on the opposition (I haven't seen any changes today -- same manner of play, thus there is no plan B -- you have it when you apply it), but also coach's problem because he needs to teach her to think better on the court. He came in in the 2nd set, while she was already losing that set, and told her to continue doing what she had been doing, because "she was doing well." Not the brightest idea.

Henin's coach (who's busy with his academy in China), or Anacone, might be better coaches for her than someone trying to mold her in Clijsters' style. Her current rallies are too long, and wear her out. She's not the bulldozer that Clijsters was.

The main point is she needs variety in order to have a longer career at the top and to beat the really top players. Otherwise, she has been of course very successful. Also, she has great hands: I saw her dropshotting or volleying -- and the technique is very good. Why not use what you have in a more efficient manner.
 
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I

iri10

Rookie
When the going gets tough, Simona prefers to do what she feels most comfortable at - defensive counterpunching from the baseline. She's very, very good at it. But at this point in her career she can't quite elevate her game that extra notch to beat a player like Maria while Maria is in her extra determined/tenacious mode.

Halep's fairly young; she can work on that. She will definitely want to, because this limitation would also be a problem against certain other players for similar reasons - Serena when she's on form, peak Azarenka, etc. All of these players are able to put more out there when all the chips are down. And when Serena / Maria retire, there may well be other players out there who develop that extra level to their game.
 
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cc0509

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
Marius_Hancu said:
Do you know how to read? I said to play more LIKE one or another, in that STYLE. Where did I compare values?
Click to expand...

You said she is coached by a Belgian to play more like Clijsters and she should be coached to play more like Henin and I am saying IMO she does not approach the talent of either player. Fair statement.
 
THUNDERVOLLEY

THUNDERVOLLEY

G.O.A.T.
cc0509 said:
You said she is coached by a Belgian to play more like Clijsters and she should be coached to play more like Henin and I am saying IMO she does not approach the talent of either player. Fair statement.
Click to expand...

She would not necessarily need their talent to gain some insight / advantage from coaches. She just has to learn to apply what she learns--which (if applied in full) should be enough to defeat the likes of Sharapova.
 
cc0509

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
THUNDERVOLLEY said:
She would not necessarily need their talent to gain some insight / advantage from coaches. She just has to learn to apply what she learns--which (if applied in full) should be enough to defeat the likes of Sharapova.
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I disagree. Learning to apply something is not that helpful if you are lacking in certain talent areas. Sharapova is the better competitor, period. Sharapova was playing poorly for most of that last match and has played poorly in many of her meetings with Halep. Halep had all the chances in the world to beat Sharapova but she could not convert. The only thing you can take from all that is that Sharapova is the better competitor and has what it takes to win the big matches. I personally do not think Halep does and IMO Halep is a weak number two player who has benefitted from Azarenka's and Sharapova's injuries and time out to claw her way up the rankings. I think Halep is a top ten level player, not a great talent beyond that.
 
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