WTA week of 4/15; Stuttgart 500 & Rouen 250

[zvelf]

Raducanu wins the toss and elects to have Iga serve first. It looks like a poor decision as Iga hits some great first serves and goes up 40-0, but then Raducanu hits winner after winner to win the next 5 points and break Swiatek in the first service game.

 

[ScottleeSV]

I predict only 2 of the top 4 will survive into the semis.

I can't help wondering how close Vondrousova was to the finishing line when you had this moment of clarity

 

[coolcamden]

If, huge IF, Emma can beat Iga here, where she’s never lost, would be a great testament to her come back.

 

[coolcamden]

She’s cracking some heavy balls at great angles. But she also already have a bandaged left knee. Don’t think she will last through the match. Hope she will tho.

 

[D-Lite]

Incorrect. She faced 2 players ranked in the top 20. Sakkari and Bencic, who had just come off winning a Gold Medal at the OGs and was arguably the tournaments most in-form player.

Bencic is a bit like a Svitolina - could never crack the major QF/SF stage on a regular basis even though on her day she's a quality player and perhaps if her top form aligned with a major she would have won one. You're correct in that at that USO Bencic and Sakkari were in form, but they are 2 of the most mentally fragile at that stage of a major - not Raducanu's issue though as she spanked them in straights. Fernandez didn't play badly in that USO final. She did all the hard work beating the more dangerous opponents but she fell when it mattered most, and again in straights.

 

[D-Lite]

Things are going her way right now. That's the point. And Noskova was embarrassing in that first set.


Are you typing this with a straight face? Bencic, who had a fluke Olympic win and has done exactly nothing with the rest of her career (one slam semi and that's it)? Or Sakkari, a notorious choker who has all of two titles in her career, despite being in the top 10 for a while now? Raducanu was in some sort of can't miss state of grace, not even understanding what was really going on, and both of these players (and others with Fernandez as well) were simply melting under the pressure of expectations. This was the best chance that most of them had to win a slam, being the favorites against unknowns like Raducanu and Fernandez, and it blew their minds.

No need to even comment on Srribes Tormo and Rogers, whose careers are there for everyone to see. You people really need to get a grip.

But that's the point with the WTA there will be players like Sakkari and Bencic playing a high level and then they suddenly flop deeper into the draw. That just highlights the mental aspects of the game. Fernandez was not as much of an unknown but she was certainly a shock finalist like Raducanu.

If you take the AO this year, Yastremska made the SF after coming through qualies. Raducanu won 2 more matches than that (SF and F are far bigger challenges mentally, obviously) but for me it just shows how you can be so dialled in at a major after qualies if you have the natural talent and serious belief in yourself. Both will have known the pressure on their opponents to take advantage of playing a qualifier to progress and ended up exploiting that.

 

[D-Lite]

Kinda like all 8 of these matchups.

Won’t happen, but Rus v. Ruse would be fun in France.

Shame Stephens and Garcia are in the same half. That would have been a fun final with home favourite Garcia and Stephens who has a lot of good results on clay in France.

 

[coolcamden]

ER has 10 TOTAL MATCHES on clay, at all levels. Iga has won 10 on this tournament alone.

 

[NaomiKonjuhPotapova]

Emma clay goat arc begin

 

[Winners or Errors]

Love that Raducanu was able to get it to 3-3. Love the way she's bouncing around the court in this recent stretch, like she's feeling quite fit. I think a Raducanu who has figured out her body can be a dangerous player. Holding her own with Swiatek on clay... C'mon, Emma!!! Keep it going.

 

[a10best]

Is Stuttgart a 500 or 250? It has a stacked field for either level.

 

[pcplum]

500

 

[marc45]

Is Stuttgart a 500 or 250? It has a stacked field for either level.

500 since 2021

 

[spystud]

I mean, it’s literally in the thread title that you have to click on to post.

 

[spystud]

Long hold for Emma, Iga serving at 3-2.

 

[pcplum]

Iga will tank this set to get more clay practice and remove Emma from equation for a couple of months.

 

[spystud]

Garcia wins.

 

[spystud]

Emma serving to stay at 3-5.

 

[spystud]

That’s a wrap.

 

[pcplum]

And that's it. Not a bad effort by Emma helped by somewhat fast indoor conditions.

 

[a10best]

I mean, it’s literally in the thread title that you have to click on to post.

If you only type in "Stuttgart open tennis", it shows a 250 on the right side and my tired eyes didn't see "ATP" beside the 250.

 

[spystud]

You wouldn’t see ATP beside it because it’s not there.

 

[zvelf]

The Swiatek-Raducanu match was very high quality. Both hit multiple shots for the highlight reel, both more winners than unforced errors. But Iga again proves why she is the best clay court player since Henin.

 

[a10best]

You wouldn’t see ATP beside it because it’s not there.

https://imgur.com/a/0O4rU3B

 

[spystud]

What thread do you click on to post here, genius? Seriously.

 

[a10best]

What thread do you click on to post here, genius? Seriously.

the same thread I asked if it was a 250 or 500 question. Seriously.

My condolences for the factual image of Google placing the Stuttgart men's event during the week of the women's wta Stuttgart event.
It kind of threw your prior narcissist comment under the bus. game. set. match.

From your question, every thread title in this forum is 100% correct and nobody should question it.

 

[Larry Duff]

I am very excited about Raducanu's year and form. Hopefully she stays healthy.

 

[No_Kwan_Do]

Was always going to be very difficult for Raducanu to beat Swiatek on her favourite surface, but she put in a solid effort. 95% of Iga's opponents tend to roll over when they lose a tight 1st set against her but Raducanu made her work for the win. Swiatek was just clutch and upped her intensity when the biggest moments arrived.

To be honest, I've seen Emma and Iga both play much better tennis than this over the last month or so. I expect Rybakina will be a much tougher test for Swiatek in the SF.

Raducanu should take a lot of heart from the last week. 5 matches in 8 days against the likes of Garcia, Noskova and Swiatek and a 4-1 record on supposedly her weakest surface is a great effort. If she can carry that into the rest of 2023, she'll comfortably be back in the top 50 by the end of the year.

 

[spystud]

3-all in the decider of Kostyuk/Gauff.

 

[ScottleeSV]

It's been a quality four matches today.

 

[spystud]

Especially for a 250. I swear.

 

[spystud]

Marta holds to 5-4. Her ball toss is atrocious.

 

[coolcamden]

Especially for a 250. I swear.

The title says: WTA Week of 4/15: Stuttgart 500 & Rouen 250

Let me click on it and ask a duh question then let me dig my heels in a argue.

 

[spystud]

And not know how to use Google. Or post a pic correctly.

 

[spystud]

2 MPs saved.

 

[spystud]

Make that 3.

 

[spystud]

5-all. Marta really doesn’t want this.

 

[spystud]

Breaker time. This is not clutch by either.

 

[spystud]

5 MPs.

 

[spystud]

6. This is bad.

 

[spystud]

7. Someone better keep an eye on Marta in the locker room later if she blows this.

 

[spystud]

Marta wins. That was, well, something.

 

[zvelf]

Well, my prediction that 2 of the top 4 would lose panned out. I figured this would be one of them, but didn't expect it to take 8 match points!

 

[marc45]

that was some ugly stuff

 

[No_Kwan_Do]

Ugly match for the most part, but Kostyuk surprised me. I thought she'd crumble towards the end, but held firm and out-willed Gauff, which is no easy feat.

 

[coolcamden]

Do we see anything other than the big 4 coming through their quarter finals today? None of the matches are easy. I think we'll see 1 upset at least (looking at you Coco, possibly).

Good call Scott.

 

[robyrolfo]

So you made a statement confirming your ignorance, were disproven, and now you're doubling down? Good to know.

Ha, what? Do you have some sort of an issue? Do you need to go and speak to someone? Perhaps buy a dictionary and learn the meaning of the word "ignorance"?

Yep. Instead of admitting he was wrong about Raducanu defeating no top 20 players at the USO, he just dismisses those defeats as not meaningful. In other words, robyrolfo is not using reason to choose. He's just choosing his reasons. Raducanu can't have played well to win the USO despite not dropping a set and contrary to his assertions, actually defeating top 20 players, because Raducanu sucks and all confirmation bias has to support that conclusion. If she plays well, it's a fluke.

Yeah, see above and learn to read. No, really, go back and read my post (which isn't edited, BTW). There is a big caveat in there because, yeah, I really don't care enough about Raducanu's fluke run to remember all the details.

And yes, she obviously played pretty well (despite the super easy draw), as it was some fluke run of form. A bigger fluke than Ostapenko, because at least she didn't drop like a complete stone out of the top 200...

Raducanu wins the toss and elects to have Iga serve first. It looks like a poor decision as Iga hits some great first serves and goes up 40-0, but then Raducanu hits winner after winner to win the next 5 points and break Swiatek in the first service game.

Yes, hype her up after a single game. And you wonder why people like me need to bring people like you back to reality.

But that's the point with the WTA there will be players like Sakkari and Bencic playing a high level and then they suddenly flop deeper into the draw. That just highlights the mental aspects of the game. Fernandez was not as much of an unknown but she was certainly a shock finalist like Raducanu.

If you take the AO this year, Yastremska made the SF after coming through qualies. Raducanu won 2 more matches than that (SF and F are far bigger challenges mentally, obviously) but for me it just shows how you can be so dialled in at a major after qualies if you have the natural talent and serious belief in yourself. Both will have known the pressure on their opponents to take advantage of playing a qualifier to progress and ended up exploiting that.

Exactly. The WTA is full of solid players that can't handle pressure, and so they get deeper into draws and then give matches away completely. And you could see that both Raducanu and Fernandez's opponents were getting totally frazzled by the idea of having their big opportunities crushed by way lower ranked players.

Was always going to be very difficult for Raducanu to beat Swiatek on her favourite surface, but she put in a solid effort. 95% of Iga's opponents tend to roll over when they lose a tight 1st set against her but Raducanu made her work for the win. Swiatek was just clutch and upped her intensity when the biggest moments arrived.

Raducanu should take a lot of heart from the last week. 5 matches in 8 days against the likes of Garcia, Noskova and Swiatek and a 4-1 record on supposedly her weakest surface is a great effort. If she can carry that into the rest of 2023, she'll comfortably be back in the top 50 by the end of the year.

Ugly match for the most part, but Kostyuk surprised me. I thought she'd crumble towards the end, but held firm and out-willed Gauff, which is no easy feat.

Ha, what? So it's all "solid" and positive for Emma, but ugly for everyone else? Please, Emma got steamrolled. If Iga had played just slightly less sloppy, it would have been even more one-sided.

Also, let's not forget that Raducanu shouldn't have even been in this tournament in the first place. Her wildcard was a gift to her marketing team.

Kostyuk always struggles to close out matches, and she has plenty of mental baggage from her AO match against Gauff (which she should have won as well). Gauff is just proof that the WTA is insanely weak right now.

 

[Dominic & Andrey]

Good grief that Marta VS Coco match was messy, but entertaining.

 

[ScottleeSV]

Good call Scott.

Nah anyone can call 3 out of 4.

Gotta be all 4 to get a shout out.

 

[ScottleeSV]

A bigger fluke than Ostapenko, because at least she didn't drop like a complete stone out of the top 200...

That needs some context. The most notable drop E.R took was from about 16th to 80th after the 2022 US Open. This was after a bitsy injury-plagued sort of a season.

She finished the year 78th and then stayed roughly in that same sort of area in the rankings until April 2023 when she was about 70th-75th. At that point she dropped off the tour and went for surgeries.

Thus, she never really left the top 100 in an actual tennis sense (for the want of a better term), let alone the top 200. Even the slide down to 70-80th was largely due to niggles and fitness difficulties.

I maintain that her current level - same as her previous level - is somewhere between 20th and 40th with the potential for more if she works on her game and stays healthy.

Ostapenko has never really had any serious injuries at all, just lots of wardrobe malfunctions, but they don't kick you down the rankings for those.