WTA week of 1/30; Thailand & Lyon 250s

[ScottleeSV]

Heather Watson into the quarters, the only Brit to do anything this week. Should halt that slide down the rankings (160th at mo).

Good to see Lisicki playing at the W40 Mexico. Will hopefully get a clean run of health

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Really nice being able to watch some tennis after a slam.

Andreescu serving to stay in the 2nd set. Great to see Bibi back in the top level.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Andreescu applies the pressure at the perfect time and breaks to live. She'll serve for the QF spot.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Who is Alycia Parks pointing up to in the sky? Just seen some of her match today and she made multiple gestures. I'm intrigued to see what she can do this year. It was a shame she didn't qualify for the AO.

That's a very good question.

I don't know who she was pointing up to, but did you folks catch her shot-of-the-year-contender?
I've never seen a shot like it before from anyone (male or female).
It was a tweener lob!!!
Unbeeleebable.

Found the rally about the pointing to the sky by Parks, indeed just so weird.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1620822851556380673

 

[ktx]

I think she's giving her props to Jesus. I read somewhere she was super religious.

 

[ScottleeSV]

Wonder if we'll ever get a satanist player who points to the floor..

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Noskova showing that Adelaide final run was no fluke.

2 qualifying wins and then defeating Muguruza and Sherif to make another QF aged 18. Not bad. All in straight sets too.

i'm going bold that Noskova will beat 1GA at French Open.

@HarveyPitnik

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Wonder if we'll ever get a satanist player who points to the floor..

SSV with another cracker post!!

 

[coolcamden]

Wonder if we'll ever get a satanist player who points to the floor..

You are on a roll this morning. Best Internet post.

 

[coolcamden]

@spystud there’s a 250 coming to Austin. Are you going to try to go? Potential great match Manimal v Radu

 

[coolcamden]

I love Shuai Zhang, but at 34 she’s not going to win anything in Singles.

 

[HarveyPitnik]

i'm going bold that Noskova will beat 1GA at French Open.

@HarveyPitnik

That's very bold. But if not yet this year, then quite probably in the coming years.

I'm not quite sure if Lindy has raised her level in general or just on hard courts this year!? She did show very good play already in Tallinn last September (saw her match against Parry there) but then played 4 non convincing hc-tournaments (one being as small as 25k and even there only QF and in Ostrava she lost in the qualies to fellow Czech Nikola Bartunkova which seems to be Lindy's cryptonite - 0-2 and first pro-meeting was 1-6, 1-6 ) But if Lindy's game has raised similarly on clay, Iga has reason to be worried for sure.

M. Sheriff probably ain't satanist nor "Satan" worshipper- but maybe she is a follower of Apopis. So if you want to see how they thank their gods on the dark side, follow her actions!

 

[HarveyPitnik]

I love Shuai Zhang, but at 34 she’s not going to win anything in Singles.

Zhang got harshly beaten by Maryna Zanevska 6-2, 6-0 in Lyon today. Since leaving doubles completely, Zanevska have done indeed better on singles tour!

What on earth is Mark-Touch blazing??? Like A CERTAIN SWISS MALE PLAYER wouldn't have hit tweener lobs?!? And the most famous was against Benjamin Becker and got RF a straight point.

 

[Mark-Touch]

Bweah, grey courts of Lyon.
Why not something sexy like yellow courts?

 

[JJGUY]

I love Shuai Zhang, but at 34 she’s not going to win anything in Singles.

But she won Lyon last year at 33

 

[coolcamden]

But she won Lyon last year at 33

She did? Ofc I don’t remember. Thanks.

 

[spystud]

Noskova is currently -333 over Osorio.


And Bianca really better win Hua Hin, this QF lineup is not strong.

 

[spystud]

Heather Watson into the quarters, the only Brit to do anything this week. Should halt that slide down the rankings (160th at mo).

Out in almost 3 hours today.

 

[spystud]

More fun with last names... Zidansek v. Zhu on now. They were never first for anything in elementary school.

 

[D-Lite]

I love Shuai Zhang, but at 34 she’s not going to win anything in Singles.

She made R4 at the USO last year and AO this year. For someone who was contemplating retirement before the AO in 2016, having had poor slam results, to now have a career best of QF, 4R, QF, 4R in majors is pretty good so I can see why she probably still has belief she can go to a SF or make a QF where she's only made 4R. I don't quite know why she plays so much, you'd think at her current ranking it would make more sense to not need to play immediately after the AO as it's a long season.

 

[ScottleeSV]

Out in almost 3 hours today.

Yeah, sad for her. Thought she might be getting on top at the start of the 3rd set. Still, a rise from 160 to 145 will help her out a bit.



Sabalenka is out of Abu Dhabi and Doha meanwhile (just to rest - not sure she was ever in the Abu Dhabi). Nice of her to give the others a chance to catch up some points.

 

[D-Lite]

Zhu Lin vs Wang Xinyu in the Hua Hin semis. Tsurenko will play the winner of Andreescu and Kostyuk who are currently on court.
Zhu played Azarenka hard at the AO so I think she may make the final. Andreescu ideally needs to clean up here if she has a chance of getting back to the top of the game before the remaining slams are out of the way this year.

 

[D-Lite]

Heather Watson into the quarters, the only Brit to do anything this week. Should halt that slide down the rankings (160th at mo).

Good to see Lisicki playing at the W40 Mexico. Will hopefully get a clean run of health

Watson's problem is that any 2 set matches she wins are usually 2 hours long and any 3 setters are basically 3 hours. She is unable to win fast unless her opponent has a nightmare. She would be ranked higher had Wimbledon awarded points last year which is a shame for her. Even though she has won a number of small WTA titles it seems she disappears until Wimbledon each year, a bit like Boulter also does. Dart seemed to have a few promising moments last year but she's also off the radar most of the year - she does seem to play well in the BJK Cup and other events representing GB.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Andreescu absolutely flying.

First set bagel and a break point to srtart the 2nd.

 

[Fairhit]

Andreescu absolutely flying.

First set bagel and a break point to srtart the 2nd.

I just started to watch the match and Kostyuk wins her first game, am I good luck for her o am I bad luck for Andreescu?

 

[Aussie Darcy]

I just started to watch the match and Kostyuk wins her first game, am I good luck for her o am I bad luck for Andreescu?

Hopefully some good luck for Marta to not get annihilated but I do want Andreescu to win this en route to her 4th career title

 

[D-Lite]

Would love to see Garcia vs Parks for the title in Lyon. Parks into the SF to play Zanevska. Garcia still has to get past Paolini and one of Osorio or Noskova. Garcia vs Noskova in the semis would also be great to see. I think this tournament could get pretty spicy in the latter stages if the ladies bring their best form.

 

[Mark-Touch]

The poor level of play at Cali is simply breathtaking.

 

[spystud]

Second set breaker for Osorio/Noskova, Camila up a set.

 

[spystud]

And she wins.

 

[No_Kwan_Do]

Osorio's a tricky player to play against when you're inexperienced, and it just so happens that Osorio's strengths (variety, drop-shots) line-up with Noskova's weaknesses right now : her inability to get around the court quickly and her execution and shot selection when brought into the net.

Noskova is currently -333 over Osorio.

Those were ridiculous odds for an 18-year old playing their 6th or 7th main draw event. Swiatek-like odds.

 

[JJGUY]

She made R4 at the USO last year and AO this year. For someone who was contemplating retirement before the AO in 2016, having had poor slam results, to now have a career best of QF, 4R, QF, 4R in majors is pretty good so I can see why she probably still has belief she can go to a SF or make a QF where she's only made 4R. I don't quite know why she plays so much, you'd think at her current ranking it would make more sense to not need to play immediately after the AO as it's a long season.

as mentioned earlier, she won Lyon last year, she has 250 points to defend there!

 

[JJGUY]

More fun with last names... Zidansek v. Zhu on now. They were never first for anything in elementary school.

Zidansek maybe? But in China, they don't use alphabetical order, Chinese characters have no phonetic writing built in, similar looking Chinese characters could sound totally different while the exact same sounding characters bear no resemblance whatsoever in writing etc, so to rank or sort names, they use the number of strokes in their names, her family name Zhu (朱) has only 6 strokes, she is quite in the front!

 

[spystud]

Sheesh, no more attempted English jokes for JJ.

 

[JJGUY]

Sheesh, no more attempted English jokes for JJ.

lol I got it, but Zhu won't since she is usually in the front seat for anything

 

[JJGUY]

Garbine at every tournament she's played for like the past 1.5 years

She needs to play ITF events, I know it must be humiliating for grand slam champions like her, but at this moment, she needs to build up some match "wins" and get a bit confidence, and the points from ITF40/50 add up quite fast too, instead of playing quali or wc and receiving almost no points, she should play ITF and get those "easy" points.

 

[Steffi-forever]

Andreescu retired against Tsurenko down 7-5, 4-0.

 

[ScentOfDefeat]

Ffs Bianca.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Andreescu led 5-4 serving for the first set, loses 8 games straight and then retires downs 7-5 4-0.

Injury issues appear to be back for Bibi who really had the best shot at a 4th title.

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Parks is so good at indoor tourneys.

 

[coolcamden]

I like Osorio, but she’ll get destroyed by my Frenchy Frenchy.

 

[D-Lite]

Garcia vs Parks is the ideal final!
Zhu is playing well but Tsurenko is a veteran. If I had to bet I'd go with Garcia and Tsurenko, but Parks and Zhu are both on hot streaks and looking to push on.

 

[coolcamden]

Garcia vs Parks is the ideal final!
Zhu is playing well but Tsurenko is a veteran. If I had to bet I'd go with Garcia and Tsurenko, but Parks and Zhu are both on hot streaks and looking to push on.

My Frenchy Frenchy FTW!

 

[spystud]

Hua Hin final, Tsurenko v. Zhu now.

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Zhu took the title and prove that her run at AO is not a fluke.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1622210693507477507

 

[D-Lite]

I kinda like the courts in Hua Hin? Big win for Zhu winning her first WTA title at 29. She isn't and won't be the last player to finally find their peak in their late 20s.

 

[coolcamden]

I kinda like the courts in Hua Hin? Big win for Zhu winning her first WTA title at 29. She isn't and won't be the last player to finally find their peak in their late 20s.

I’m always supportive of older players FINALLY get their just reward. LETS GO JESSIE P.

 

[elkwood]

Grats Parks on her first title!

 

[insideguy]

Congrats Parks!

 

[Mark-Touch]

Could Lin Zhu become the Stan Wawrinka of womens' tennis?
I'm not a fan of hers but she sure has got the game!
Tsurenko really took it to Andreescu the match before and now,
Zhu turned the tables on Tsurenko.

I just watched the finals highlights.
Zhu was out-Andreescuing Andreescu in all her shots!
She has them all. Moon balls, power, variety...