2024 Internazionali BNL d'Italia, Rome, Italy - WTA 1000

[MargaretMcAleer]

In the other doubles SF Gauff/Routliffe (3) d X.Wang/Zheng 63 76(3) and will play Errani /Paolini in the Ladies Doubles final!

 

[kskate2]

I think I know what Keli will say regarding Elina at RG

Oh yeah MM. Go for it. What would I say?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Oh yeah MM. Go for it. What would I say?

May I borrow your crystal ball for a moment Elina has struggled this year, due to injury, as a dark horse? hmm, hasnt really got the weapons.to be a threat ( dark horse) at RG this year

 

[kskate2]

May I borrow your crystal ball for a moment Elina has struggled this year, due to injury, as a dark horse? hmm, hasnt really got the weapons.to be a threat ( dark horse) at RG this year

Good job MM. I would also add the following that she lacks:
- point ending kill shot
- a little sumthing sumthing I like to call umph. She just doesn't have it (at least not consistently anyway).

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Good job MM. I would also add the following that she lacks:
- point ending kill shot
- a little sumthing sumthing I like to call umph. She just doesn't have it (at least not consistently anyway).

Thanks Keli I didnt mean to take over, when AP asked you, I thought we would be on the same page where Elina is concerned

 

[kskate2]

Thanks Keli I didnt mean to take over, when AP asked you, I thought we would be on the same page where Elina is concerned

No worries, you can take over. I'm not always around.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Good job MM. I would also add the following that she lacks:
- point ending kill shot
- a little sumthing sumthing I like to call umph. She just doesn't have it (at least not consistently anyway).

Did you watch the match vs Aryna , ES was pounding the ball including her serves. If she would have executed the easiest shot in tennis, the back hand slice volley, y'all would probably have a different option because she would have had a W instead of an L

 

[the AntiPusher]

No worries, you can take over. I'm not always around.

Who y'all got winning the final? IGA should be the favorite on real clay.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Ladies Singles Final,
Saturday 18th May
Not before 5pm local time,

Iga Swiatek (1) vs Aryna Sabalenka (2) H2H Swiatek 7-3 ( Iga winning their past 2 meetings)

It is Swiatek and Sabalenks's first meeting in the final at Rome.
Iga is bidding to become the third woman and first since Serena Williams in 2013 to win Madrid and Rome in a single season. Iga is a 2 time champion in Rome
'Aryna is hoping she can get revenge after Iga won their meeting in Madrid, where Aryna did have a chance to become a 3 time champion.

Iga has not lost a set enroute to the final, wins against Pera, Putintseva, Kerber, Keys, Gauff to make her 3rd Rome Final.

Aryna was one point exiting from the tournament, she saved 3 MPs to defeat Svitolina, after that win, she found her game , and went on to defeat Ostapenko and Collins in straight sets.
This is Aryna's first Rome final.

Interesting Stat,
Fourth meeting on clay between Iga and Aryna as world No 1 and No 2 equalling Evert and Navartilova for the most meetings on the surface in the past 40 years as the WTA's top 2 ranked players.

Good luck to both ladies!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Iga's footwork on clay is sublime, one of the reason's she has had soo much success on the clay to date
Without good footwork especially on clay you are always behind the eight ball.No 1 rule on clay is keep those feet moving!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Iga wins the 1st set 62
Saba has got to stop 'over hitting' her ground strokes, remember ' controlled aggression Saba'? and has to get up her first serve percentage which was low in the 1st set

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Saba had 5 BPs all up in Iga's early service games and could not convert? her level has been much better than the 1st set
Iga is 148-4 (97%) after winning the opening set since the start of 2022, not a bad stat at all!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Swiatek (1) wins back to back in Madrid and Rome for the first time defeating Sabalenka (2) 62 63 for a 3rd title in 4 years at the Foro Italico
4th WTA 1000 title of the year!. Iga won the tournament not dropping a set!
Arrives at Roland Garros with 12 consecutive wins and is the favorite for the French Open title
Iga Forza!

 

[don_fabio]

Iga wins easy today. On real clay the gap is bigger between the two, compared to Madrid.

Iga probably wins another RG. She is going to be a woman to beat and her clay game is above others. She might lack a personality, but her tennis is doing the talking and she is consistent, guardkeeping the WTA from falling apart and pushing her competition to be better.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Iga wins easy today. On real clay the gap is bigger between the two, compared to Madrid.

Iga probably wins another RG. She is going to be a woman to beat and her clay game is above others. She might lack a personality, but her tennis is doing the talking and she is consistent, guardkeeping the WTA from falling apart and pushing her competition to be better.

Don,

Madrid conditions will always favor a big flat hitter of the ball eg Sabalenka,
Iga comes into her own on the true clay eg Rome and RG, she is just a pleasure to watch, her feet are sublime on this surface,she has to be the favorite for RG in 2024

 

[kskate2]

Congrats to Iga on achieving the clay double. That has to be one of the worst matches I've seen Saba play in a final. I mean 0/7 on BP's when Iga is only serving 54% is not acceptable for a player of her caliber. She had chances to get back into the match, but she could not get out of her own way today. I actually think this is a step back for her. She had MP's last week and choked 2 of 3 pts to win the match and then allowed herself to get sandblasted today. She may lose confidence going into RG and could get upset early.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Congrats to Iga on achieving the clay double. That has to be one of the worst matches I've seen Saba play in a final. I mean 0/7 on BP's when Iga is only serving 54% is not acceptable for a player of her caliber. She had chances to get back into the match, but she could not get out of her own way today. I actually think this is a step back for her. She had MP's last week and choked 2 of 3 pts to win the match and then allowed herself to get sandblasted today. She may lose confidence going into RG and could get upset early.

Yes she did have chances to get back into the match in the 2nd set if you cannot convert 7BPs? that is just a glaring stat on how bad she was playing, BP stat probably is one of the telling signs in tennis

 

[kskate2]

Iga wins easy today. On real clay the gap is bigger between the two, compared to Madrid.

Iga probably wins another RG. She is going to be a woman to beat and her clay game is above others. She might lack a personality, but her tennis is doing the talking and she is consistent, guardkeeping the WTA from falling apart and pushing her competition to be better.

I agree with most of this. One caveat is if someone is going to take out Iga, I don't see it being Saba. It will likely come from another source (Osta, Elena or some player just red hot that day).

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

BTW Players to win WTA1000s in Madrid and Rome in the same year,
Safina (2009) that girl turned me to drugs and drink after imploding in the final at RG against another Russian Headcase Kutzy
Serena Williams 2013
Swiatek 2024

 

[kskate2]

And if you go even further, Serena went on to win RG in 2013. Dinara got to the final in 2009 but didn't win it. So Iga has a chance to do what only Serena has done, which is win the clay double and RG in the same year.