WTA week of 9/25; Tokyo 500 & Ningbo 250

[robyrolfo]

It’s funny how dead the Asian swing is. Players/fans/announcers/us, no one really cares.

Totally agree on this. There is just something about these events that feels completely lifeless and inconsequential. Even the TV images seem to be lacking in quality sometimes, which doesn't help either.

And on the flip side, the all-blue everything in Tokyo is most certainly not.

Yeah, this is pretty bad. The tournament last week in Osaka (green on green) was even worse. Or maybe I'm just spoiled by the Laver Cup...

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1707318709444903087

Right after the handshake, looks like she just jumped in a pool.

Wow, that was some serious sweat indeed. And I'm not going to lie, it is a lovely sight. I'll take these amazing female athletes all sweaty after a tough match over some runway models any day of the week...

 

[BenC]

Sakkari easy over Doi to end Tokyo’s slate & Misaki’s career.

Nice hug & chat at the net.

Very classy of her. I wasn't entirely a fan before but will be rooting for her from now on.

She did get lucky with her Guadalajara draw but hoping she can start taking it to the top players and pull off something like Krecjikova's Dubai 1-2-3 demolition job.

 

[coolcamden]

Very classy of her. I wasn't entirely a fan before but will be rooting for her from now on.

Welcome to the club buddy. Be forewarned you will get your heart broken. MANY TIMES.

 

[spystud]

Tonight’s action with Central times.

Schnaider/Fruhvirtova may be fun.

 

[Aabye5]

And now Ons Jabeur will demonstrate how you make your own luck in tennis...

 

[robyrolfo]

Schnaider/Fruhvirtova may be fun.

Yeah, that's an interesting match. Schnaider seems to have a lot of potential, and I'm glad that Fruhvirtova bounced Bronzetti in the last round. I used to think (well, still do) that Coco Gauff was the queen of easy draws, but my lord does Bronzetti have the luckiest draws I've ever seen. That she is ranked higher than Giorgi is hilarious to me.

I also hope that Kasatkina absolutely thrashes Pegula.

 

[spystud]

DasKa looked like she was gonna keel over in the heat yesterday, so she better hope it's cooled off some.

 

[spystud]

First set to Pavs at 2.

 

[spystud]

Alexandrova was up 5-3, dropped 4 straight for the match.

 

[coolcamden]

Iga down 2 breaks quickly.

 

[spystud]

And the set finishes that way too.

 

[spystud]

Iva returns the favor to force 3.

 

[ScottleeSV]

Tokyo more stacked than Guadalajara.

Is there any reason why Tokyo couldn't be a W1000 and Guadalajara a 500? Tokyo is not only a massive city in a key part of the world but the tournament has a long distinguished history. I think it has a big stadium court too from memory. I rememeber getting up early to watch Ivanovic beat Wozniacki in the final years ago and thinking how cool the event was

Contrast to Guadalajara. Nobody wants to go there. It's too close to the US Open. Mexico already has other events on the calendar. The conditions are just weird. Even the colour of the courts are a bit naff.

 

[D-Lite]

Is there any reason why Tokyo couldn't be a W1000 and Guadalajara a 500? Tokyo is not only a massive city in a key part of the world but the tournament has a long distinguished history. I think it has a big stadium court too from memory. I rememeber getting up early to watch Ivanovic beat Wozniacki in the final years ago and thinking how cool the event was

Contrast to Guadalajara. Nobody wants to go there. It's too close to the US Open. Mexico already has other events on the calendar. The conditions are just weird. Even the colour of the courts are a bit naff.

Tokyo did used to be a 1000 until 2013 and I agree, I think the entry list is generally strong because of the history of the tournament and the fact it's the biggest tournament in Japan which is a place many player enjoy visiting. It's also just before WTA Wuhan and Beijing and only a short flight at that. Guadalajara has a fantastic atmosphere don't get me wrong but either play it somewhere else on the calendar or downgrade it to a 500.

 

[spystud]

VK gets it done.

 

[spystud]

Easy breadstick from JPeg. DasKa has nothing left.

 

[spystud]

And a bagel. At least DasKa didn’t quit.

 

[ktx]

Just turned on pegula DK and that was quite the score line. When will Jess win a major?!

 

[spystud]

1 winner to 15 unforced, ouch.

 

[spystud]

4 & 1 for Schnaider over Fruhvirtova.

Sakkari takes the first over Garcia at 2.

I’m out.

 

[longmacchiato]

Maria takes the first set 6:2. So far so good.

 

[longmacchiato]

Maria takes a clean swipe 6:2, 6:2. Here we go.....!

 

[D-Lite]

Zheng Qinwen beats Zhu in straights to win the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

 

[coolcamden]

Swiatek had a 4-0 H2H against VK, lost in 3. The 1st set I watched she had about 18-20 UE’s. She earlier lost her dominance over Gauff too.

What’s going on?

 

[ktx]

Zheng Qinwen beats Zhu in straights to win the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

Happy she found some good form but it sucks that Fissette ditched her for Naomi.

 

[ktx]

Swiatek had a 4-0 H2H against VK, lost in 3. The 1st set I watched she had about 18-20 UE’s. She earlier lost her dominance over Gauff too.

What’s going on?

I think they're just playing her better and its hard to dominate all the time. I suspect she will make some adjustments to start trying to really peak at the majors...

 

[coolcamden]

I think they're just playing her better and its hard to dominate all the time. I suspect she will make some adjustments to start trying to really peak at the majors...

It was quite disturbing to watch last night match. Ostapenko pounded that crap out of the ball to beat her. Gauff played a great match against her, but last night she made 50 total UE’s. 18 alone in the 1st set. It was so unlike her.

 

[ScottleeSV]

Swiatek had a 4-0 H2H against VK, lost in 3. The 1st set I watched she had about 18-20 UE’s. She earlier lost her dominance over Gauff too.

What’s going on?

She has a tactical crisis going on in her head. Too many options and she doesn't know what to do (a bit like Jabeur a lot of the time).

 

[spystud]

Just to reiterate my point about the Asian swing being useless, they’re starting Beijing’s main draw at the exact same time as Tokyo’s semis. And Beijing’s qualies aren’t even close to over either.

Why the hell couldn’t they start tomorrow?

 

[spystud]

Anyway, this is what we have coming up for these two.

 

[spystud]

Not sure if VK saved or Pavs blew 5 SPs, but it’s 5-all now.

 

[spystud]

And here’s the dumb Beijing thread since they’re already underway.

https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/2023-wta-beijing-1000.758545/

 

[coolcamden]

1st set TB. Very good match so far.

 

[spystud]

VK outlasts the opener.

 

[spystud]

Of course playing 3 because this is how we do in Asia when an even bigger tourney is already booking matches.

 

[spystud]

VK wins in 3.5 hours.

 

[spystud]

JPeg takes the first at 2.

 

[spystud]

Ons took the first easy in the Ningbo final against Schnaider.

 

[D-Lite]

JPeg in straights over Sakkari. Another SF defeat to add to Sakkari's CV. I wonder if she's just tired or if she's mentally not actually going to consistently perform in SFs and finals afterall.

 

[spystud]

Jeez, she just won last week.

 

[spystud]

Ons wins Ningbo easy.

 

[spystud]

Kudermetova v. JPeg for Tokyo tomorrow.

 

[D-Lite]

I was hoping Sakkari would win again here, because I don't think these SF/F performance Qs just vanish because she won her 2nd title. Given her ranking and how regularly she ends up going deep at big tournaments she needs to win a few more titles to show she has truly entered new ground on the mental side of things. Funnily enough that SF was the Guadalajara 2022 champ vs Guadalajara 2023 champ (they also contested the 2022 final there). I think this was a marker from Pegula - Sakkari possibly would not have won her title last week if Pegula had gone to defend her title (of course that doesn't change anything though).

 

[spystud]

JPeg serving at 2-3 early in the final.

 

[coolcamden]

This final is lit.

 

[spystud]

7-5 to VK.

 

[coolcamden]

Pegula’s FH went from leaking oil to full blow out now.

 

[Aussie Darcy]

Kudermetova has been nowhere for months and then just rocks up in Tokyo and defeats #2 Swiatek and now #4 Pegula to win the title.

 

[fundrazer]

Didn't realize the match had started. Pleasant surprise to see Kudermetova won though. Was thinking she'd have a much better year after how good she looked last year.

 

[spystud]