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Ostapenko and Collins Put On A Show At Empty Abu Dhabi
11 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Articles, Scoop
The WTA tournament in Abu Dhabi featured a very colorful, feisty match today between two dramatic champions but the stadium was disappointingly mostly empty for the intriguing clash.
Jelena Ostapenko overcame a fierce fight from Danielle Collins to prevail 75 16 75. The pressure was on both players to defend points and the slugfest lived up to expectations.
With Barbora Krejcikova an interested front row spectator observing the duel, Ostapenko was her typical fearless, confident, swaggering self. While Collins seemed to carry on aura of not really wanting to be there in the heat of battle. At one point, at 1-1 and deuce in the third set, Collins appeared to question a member of the Ostapenko box about if she was saying some unknown words to Collins which irritated her. Collins said the person was allegedly talking to her through the match.
Facts of the controversy are still unconfirmed. One source said the suspect was the mother of Ostapenko who ignited Collins’ ire.
After the win, Ostapenko was generous in her praise for the American, “Danielle is a great player. Great fighter. Matches are never over against her till match point.”
The loss drops Collins, now 4-4 in 2023, outside the top 40. In Adelaide, Collins lost first round to Elena Rybakina in three sets. At Adelaide 2, she lost 1R to Karolina Pliskova. At AO she lost again to Rybakina in the third round in three sets. And now in Abu Dhabi she’s out first round again.
Ostapenko, the Dubai champ in 2022, has won her sixth consecutive match in United Arab Emirates. She will face Rebecca Marino or Zheng Qinwen on Wednesday.
Abu Dhabi · Danielle Collins · Jelena Ostapenko · WTA
Scoop Malinowski · February 6, 2023 at 7:38 pm
More people are showing up to watch pickleball doubles and mixed doubles than were at this match today.
catherine · February 7, 2023 at 2:16 am
This part of the world has never been a genuine centre of interest for women’s tennis. It’s all about money. Same with a few other sports. Dubai/Abu Dhabi are sham events.
Maybe that’s why Sloane and Emma have opted to play in Austin.
catherine · February 7, 2023 at 2:42 am
Actually I find the WTA scheduling at this part of the year a bit strange. Players are zigzagging all over the place.
I wonder if the the ME events actually make money ? I’m pretty sure they don’t. I’m also pretty sure that the stands are rarely packed with local fans.
I’d also like to see true figures re the hit the WTA has taken over the exit from China although I don’t question the motive behind it.
Scoop Malinowski · February 7, 2023 at 8:10 am
Catherine, that’s true and women’s tennis does not resonate or sell in Monte Carlo or Newport either. Steffi was such a huge boom for the WTA and the German market really embraced her and Boris. It makes more sense why there could have been a diabolical scheme to reinstall Steffi to the no. 1 position by any means necessary after that Yugoslavian grunter violently dethroned the big money maker.
catherine · February 7, 2023 at 9:50 am
Might sound a little defeatist but I’m seriously thinking the WTA should concentrate its talent in those events (outside GSs obviously) where there is already an established market and TV etc is dug in.
I’d say there are around 1/2 dozen women who can fill stands – and I’d count Parks among them now. Can’t see the point in empty seats. Bad look and bad economics.
Germany never really experienced a boom after Boris and Steffi. And although Angie was glamorous and popular she wasn’t a drawcard on her own – something we’ve discussed before.
Scoop Malinowski · February 7, 2023 at 3:11 pm
Catherine, Germany had the perfect storm, a top male and female player same time and Germany tennis industry prospered enormously. But the miracle ended and Anke Huber, Goelner, Haas, Keifer found it was a tough act to follow. Kerber was a great player too but lacked charisma and appeal to attract the masses. But a great player. The empty stadiums make the show look dead, boring and not worth watching. Women’s tennis is at a low ebb now. The departure of Serena, whether you liked or her not, left a void.
Scoop Malinowski · February 7, 2023 at 5:34 pm
Andy Murray gets wild card to play the ATP 500 in Dubai. Most wild cards received on the ATP Tour since 1990…
Ryan Harrison – 73
Donald Young – 62
Andy Murray – 53
Tommy Haas – 53
Goran Ivanisevic – 51
James Blake – 49
Lleyton Hewitt – 45
catherine · February 8, 2023 at 10:17 am
https://www.tennismajors.com/wta-tour-news/swiatek-on-business-and-bold-choices-i-want-to-use-my-impact-well-in-a-way-that-is-healthy-for-me-659319.html
Iga Swiatek’s views on tennis and the business world with input from others in her team.
An unusually mature perspective from a young woman just entering her 20s. She seems to have no fear of the increasingly complex world around today’s pros.
catherine · February 8, 2023 at 2:47 pm
Kalinina beat Parks in Linz – maybe a tournament Alycia should have skipped.
Linz is a fairly established event but even rising star Parks couldn’t attract more than a handful of spectators.
I watched two different sets of highlights – one ‘official’ from the WTA.
According to the WTA cameras Alycia won every point in the match and Kalinina none at all. Reminded me of a Gauff match 🙂
The comments were interesting. It’s obvious that most
fans understand quite clearly how the WTA media people manipulate online match replays to favour one player over another and they resent being taken for fools.
The WTA is now pushing Alycia in a desperate search for another Serena but my feeling is that this quest is futile and will do Parks no favours.
Scoop Malinowski · February 9, 2023 at 4:18 pm
Catherine I lost interest about quarter way through this Iga article and could not finish it. I think the writer wasted too many words, probably got paid by the word. My takeaway is that Max Eisenbud implied that his previous clients privately said they wanted to be the no. 1 money earner in women’s sports. that was interesting. In her book Sharapova implied that it just kind of happened by making the right smaller deals in the beginning. Iga talking about off court activity strikes me as all PR surface image talk.
I think the article could have been reduced to: Iga is a super tennis athlete and she’s on her way to profiting handsomely from it. An Iga Biofile would be more interesting.
catherine · February 10, 2023 at 2:00 am
Yes, it was a bit longwinded. I usually skip a lot in these articles.
But I did get a kind of impression that Iga is a little bored by some of the off court stuff in tennis. The best thing would be if a genuine rival emerges and her attention is focussed totally on court. After all – that’s what she does.
A Biofile would be interesting I agree. Something she
couldn’t talk her way out of.
Emma has a WC for IW.