BNP Paribas Fortis Diamond Games 2015

[Hoergren]

Pliskova continues her good 2015 form 76 63 and the fourth seed is out - here some stats:

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Carla Suarez Navarro(5) too good for Schiavone 63 62

 

[sk310]

Sumyk's first task...Get Genie to take week by week tournaments as seriously as she takes slams. It's such a weird issue to have these days as it seems every top player of recent years has had the opposite problem. Safina, Jankovic and to some extent Woz would show up week by week winning tons of tournaments and then at grand slam big moments totally fold.

I don't think it is the fact that Genie does not take these smaller tournaments as seriously as the slams, she did win her first WTA title in Nurnberg last year, it is now the massive expectations on her shoulders from all her triumphs from 2014. This has got to be churning in her mind, a young mind at that, not only does she need to correct some issues in her physical game, but the mental game is daunting too. The next couple of months could be the most critical for her and will likely determine how she handles the pressure for the remainder of the year.uzzled

Sorry we disagree on this point. I think its not the pressure because if it was pressure than she would have been doing great at smaller tournaments last year, she wasn't.

At the 4 premier mandatory tournaments last year she had these results:
IW-4th Round
Miami- 2nd Round
Madrid- 1st Round
Beijing-2nd Round

That says to me she doesn't care as much about them or go in with as much motivation as slams.

 

[Hoergren]

A German bites the dust Barthel loses to Stycova 26 26

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3N79rg3TYA[/video]

 

[Hoergren]

Order of play 14 February

CENTRE COURT Starting at: 13:00
Anabel MEDINA GARRIGUES (ESP)/Arantxa PARRA SANTONJA (ESP) [1] vs Darija JURAK (CRO)/Laura SiGEMUND (GER) 36 76 15-13

Not Before 15:00
Karolina PLISKOVA (CZE) [8] vs Carla SUÁREZ NAVARRO (ESP) [5] 26 26

Not Before 20:00
Barbora ZAHLAVOVA STRYCOVA (CZE) vs Andrea PETKOVIC (GER) [3] 67 67
followed by
Barbora KREJCIKOVA (CZE)/Renata VORACOVA (CZE) vs [WC] An-Sophie MESTACH (BEL)/Alison VAN UYTVANCK (BEL)

Ready for a Petko dance?

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8M9rxpknWM[/video]

 

[rubydo]

Sumyk's first task...Get Genie to take week by week tournaments as seriously as she takes slams. It's such a weird issue to have these days as it seems every top player of recent years has had the opposite problem. Safina, Jankovic and to some extent Woz would show up week by week winning tons of tournaments and then at grand slam big moments totally fold.

I don't think it is the fact that Genie does not take these smaller tournaments as seriously as the slams, she did win her first WTA title in Nurnberg last year, it is now the massive expectations on her shoulders from all her triumphs from 2014. This has got to be churning in her mind, a young mind at that, not only does she need to correct some issues in her physical game, but the mental game is daunting too. The next couple of months could be the most critical for her and will likely determine how she handles the pressure for the remainder of the year.uzzled

Sorry we disagree on this point. I think its not the pressure because if it was pressure than she would have been doing great at smaller tournaments last year, she wasn't.

At the 4 premier mandatory tournaments last year she had these results:
IW-4th Round
Miami- 2nd Round
Madrid- 1st Round
Beijing-2nd Round

That says to me she doesn't care as much about them or go in with as much motivation as slams.

Good research on those four events sk 310. If the same results happen again this year and they just did, then Genie does need to take the smaller mandatory events with more seriousness. Will be interesting to compare both years. I am going to be very interested to see how she does at Indian Wells, the first big event in North America.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Karolina Pliskova (8) v Carla Suarez Navarro (5)

At present they are tied h2h 1-1

In their last match at Apia International,Sydney,just recently,Karolina won 46 64 60.Karolina's serve was a great factor for her in this match with 15 aces.I wonder if Carla can turn the tables in this match?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Barbora Zahlovova Strycova v Andrea Petkovic (3)

H2h 2-1 in Petkovic's favour,though they havent played each other since 2012.

Strycova is a very crafty player,uses all the court,also a very good volley player

At times Petkovic has had trouble either serving out a set or a match,she will need to be on her toes for the whole match.

If Strycova wins this match,she'll crack the Top 20 for the first time in her career.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Karolina and Carla are at it, first set is in the middle.

Carla has the early edge.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Congratulations to Carla Suarez Navarro making her first Premier Final defeating Pliskova 62 62

A great all round display of tennis from Carla

Well Done!.......:clap

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

Karolina fired 37% first serve? Bad day at the office for her, good day for Carla.

Second semi is coming soon, stay tuned.

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQnOwBb6Nfs[/video]

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Andrea Petkovic d Zahlavora Strycova 76(2) 76(6)

 

[Hoergren]

Finals Sunday 15.2.2015

CENTRE COURT
Start: 13.00
BELGIAN LEGENDS DOUBLES
Kim CLIJSTERS / Dick NORMAN vs Sabine APPELMANS / Xavier MALISSE
Not before 14:30
Andrea PETKOVIC (GER) [3] vs Carla SUÁREZ NAVARRO (ESP) [5]
Followed by doublesfinal:
Anabel MEDINA GARRIGUES (ESP)/Arantxa PARRA SANTONJA (ESP) [1]
vs
Barbora KREJCIKOVA (CZE)/Renata VORACOVA (CZE) or [WC] An-Sophie MESTACH (BEL)/Alison VAN UYTVANCK (BEL)

 

[pavlik89]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Tbj65T8hQs[/video]

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Well Petkovic still at times fails to close out sets,did this again today in her s/final match

I am picking CSN to win her first Premier title,I liked her all court game against Pliskova in their s/final match,granted that Pliskova serve,fhand went AWOL.

 

[Correspondent Kiu]

I am picking Petko to dance!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

If Carla Suarez Navarro wins the final,she will go to a career high ranking of No.12 in the world,she is currently ranked No.17.If Carla loses to Andrea she will be ranked No.13.Previously her career high ranking was No 14.