Has Kyrgios Finally Solved His Self-Puzzle?

I won’t say more about Sharapova vs Kerber other than I couldn’t wait for the match to end. Maria’s grunts are just about unbearable. Not only are they loud but it is an ugly sound. I had to leave the match at one point just to have some relief from that noise.

I am getting so tired of Maria having centre courts and prime time. She is a poor player now, and should be treated the way she is actually playing.

Kerber, as a recent Slam champion (3 times) should have been given top billing. So the entertaining match started late in the evening and was played in front of a small audience, purely because the Sharapove name still sells.

Here is the report I wrote on Kerber vs Kasatkina for Match Call Migrants.

Fortunately, Kasatkina vs Kerber more than made up for the first match. I am a huge Dasha fan, even with her recent slump, and was curious to see Angie live. This was such an entertaining match. At least after the first set. The less said about that the better. I was so discouraged seeing Dasha play so badly then that I thought about leaving – that was just too painful to watch.

Then Daria had OCC. I don’t know who her new coach is and we couldn’t hear what he said. But they showed it on the big screen, and she paid careful attention, looking right at him. It’s hard to know if the coaching did the trick, but she was a different player in the second set. Suddenly here was the Kasatkina that her fans know and love, with powerful shots and lots of variety, including that lovely BH slice. Kerber did not play badly then, it was more that Dasha upped her level dramatically.

I know Angie had a lot of unforced errors in the match, but my impression was that she played well overall. Seeing her live you got to understand just how hard and deep she hits the ball. And she changes direction so easily, making those wonderful DTL winners. She seemed even more powerful, especially with those strong legs, than she looks on TV. There were a few times when I thought it’s easy to see how she won 3 Slams.

The match had so many great rallies, with each woman hitting one terrific shot after another. You had to cheer at the end no matter which player won the point. You were on the edge of your seat, completely absorbed.

It looked like either player could win the third set, but Angie’s level dropped a bit and Dasha continued to play well. It sounded like there were more Kerber fans in the crowd, although Dasha did have her supporters. But at the end the crowd gave Dasha a wonderful ovation. (Or at least those diehards who were still there at nearly midnight.) Dasha had fought so hard to turn things around after that disastrous first set. Angie got a big round of applause when she left the court – people appreciated how well she had played.

There is just something so appealing about Dasha. She is small compared to many players, so perhaps that makes her seem vulnerable. She fights so fiercely on the court and then is so sunny (and funny) in interviews. I was absolutlely thrilled that she won last night. Maybe this win over a tough competitor will help turn her season around.

I don’t think Maria should quit because she is 32. But she certainly doesn’t deserve all these WCs. Nothing about her performance is pleasing. I’m not sure what she did with all that time off, given that nothing has changed with her game, and people are now used to it and know how to react and play against her.

Scoop – I’ve always though Maria is older than she claims. 34 is entirely possible.

An interesting article, with some great pictures, from WTA Insider. Those who claim that the women players don’t get along or want to practice together.
https://www.wtatennis.com/news/were-talkin-about-practice-wta-stars-weigh-their-favorite-practice-partners

Ha ha Jeff – not many cuties left in the draw now 🙂

I have to admit that I am just as happy that Collins and Giorgi are gone.

But it was a real shock that Barty lost to Kenin.

Catherine, am sorry that I missed your earlier post with the WTA link. I usually look for them.

Bianca Andreescu won against Genie Bouchard tonight 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Bianca showed rust at the beginning of the match, but played much better as the match wore on. Genie did not play that badly for the most part, but Bianca, with her variety and quickness around the court, simply was the better player.

Bianca will play Kasatkina after Simona’s match, so I will get to see her play after all.

What did Collins do to Angie?

I actually feel sorry for her coaches who have to watch her play and practice all the time. It cannot be pleasant. I hope they are well compensated.

In the long run, no matter how feisty she is, Scoops comparisons to Hewitt notwithstanding, I don’t think she is going to have a lot of success. Certainly not winning Grand Slams. Tight margins and vey few ways to win cheap points. It’s hard to win consistently that way.

Interesting that Tommy Paul is playing on center court tomorrow against Fognini. For some reason, the Italian is favored but this should be easy money. Fognini is hurt and looked bad in Mexico. A huge opportunity for Tommy Paul to take the next step after he gave Tsitsipas a run for his money last week.

Vijay – Collins thrashed Angie in her opening match 6-0 6-2 in record time, 20 mins first set, forcing Kerber to take her first ever bathroom break and (I think) inflicting damage on her psyche which has lasted all year. And maybe Scheuttler never quite recovered either. Just one of those days – but in her pc you could see how upset Kerber was. She brushed off Ben Rothenberg’s impertinent questions (good) so it was worth watching for that. It’s on Youtube, or was.

Unlike Jeff I can’t see much personality in Collins and I hate the way she plays. She seems to run through coaches too. Her handshakes aren’t the greatest either.

I hope Bianca will be OK shoulder wise as well. But if she is going to be successful she has to be able to play against tough opponents soon after another match. I am looking forward to her match against Dasha because both have variety in their games, although Bianca has more power.

I was surprised about Barty, had thought she would show more consistency.

Sloane’s fiance, who lives in Toronto, was watching her match, so she must have been doubly disappointed to lose.

With some top seeds out already, the tourney must be praying that Simona and Bianca have deep runs.

Collins, in your face game seems manufactured to me. She thinks she’s intimidating. Will she be able to protect semis in Oz points? That’s her most important question. If not, she’ll be hanging around the 40’s to 60’s ranking. No way she wins a Major.

Fritz, anyone still think he has a Major in him? I don’t., never did.

Kyrgios.. does anyone else think he’s gonna have a physical confrontation with an opponent before he’s done. They can tell you he’s liked in the locker room. You can see the annoyance on his opponents faces. Trying to intimidate every official, every freaking match. Still surprised Wawa didn’t go after him after the line about Kok, and Venice.

Watched most of 3 women’s matches yesterday, Barty might have been the only one who made a standard volley, swinging volleys are the new norm. Stephens and Andreescu tried to hit regular volleys, failed miserably

Harold – McNally hits a more or less regular volley I think. I’ve only seen her play once though so I’d have to take a closer look. You do have to learn them young though and who does that now ?

It’s ‘Vekic’ not Venice- and I agree – indefensible.

Scoop, you didn’t seriously put Stan W and Sandgren on the same level, did you?

And even if Collins gets hot, do you seriously see her winning multiple Grand Slams like Stan? I just can’t see that at all.

Perhaps, but my recollection is also that, before 2014, Stan was thought to be a top level talent, capable of winning majors, and that up to that point, he had underperformed. Do people think Sandgren is capable of winning majors? He doesn’t have a complete game. Too many weaknesses (that backhand for one), not enough ways to win matches. Unfortunately for him, the big 3 have raised the bar so high that I don’t see Sandgren winning a major at all. At least not while Novak and Rafa have anything to say about it.

Roddick on Felix: “Something I look for is easy power. I think most guys on [the ATP] Tour, if they set up and want to hit a ball hard, they can. The really, really great ones — you think of Roger, I think of a guy like Tomas Berdych — it doesn’t look like he’s swinging out of his shoes, but the ball kind of launches off of his racquet. And maybe you can’t see the ball on TV, but you can feel it playing against him,” Roddick said. “Felix seems to have that easy power. When he’s going after a ball, it doesn’t look out of sorts. It looks like the technique is pretty much the same.”

Halep bt Brady in 3 tight sets and t/b in 3rd. Good quality match for most of the time with some outstanding points. Simona looked pretty tired by the end and also had an MTO for what looked like a strained calf or something similar. So I wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t go much further in Toronto and maybe should skip Cincinatti.

Yastremska pummelled Azarenka – I think Vika is approaching the finish line and Fisette should be looking for pastures new.

Svitolina bt Siniakova and Elina had an MTO too. WTA is a bunch of walking wounded.

Bianca not only had the thigh heavily strapped, but she had tape on the inside of her other thigh as well. At one point during the match she got so annoyed with all the taping that she tore it off.

She was very up and down in the match, and until the very end I wasn’t really expecting her to win, but she pulled it off somehow. It was fun to watch 2 players who have variety, and often you had no idea what shot each would hit next.

Hartt – I saw some of the match and like you I wasn’t at all sure who was going to win – both looked exhausted at the end. I hope Daria can keep up the momentum and the variety – she’ll start winning again. She’s also lost a bit of weight which is helping I think. Bianca can lose some too but that should come as she grows older.

I rarely read Youtube comments but I had a look at this match and was surprised at how unpopular Bianca seems to be. Real vitriol. Can’t see the reason. But then a lot of those people are pretty irrational and don’t need a reason.