Roland Garros / French Open 2024 [Women] - Grand Slam

[El Dude]

I wish we could replay the last 2/3 of the 1990s with Seles never getting stabbed and Capriati never self-destructing. I'm pretty sure Steffi never gets to 22 slams, she may probably never catch Navratilova/Evert at 18. Seles probably approaches Steffi/Navratilova/Evert's slam totals, and Capriati wins at least 12.

Sounds like a thread topic, though I know the Seles What If story is sort of like the WTA's version of the Borg What If story.

I know a lot less about women's tennis, but my sense is that this scenario would have impacted lesser players more than Graf, who held her own against peak Seles and still ruled Wimbledon. I mean, she'd probably have won fewer Slams, but I'm looking more at players like Vicario Sanchez, Mary Pierce, Conchita Martinez and of course all those Slams Graf didn't play in the late 90s. Martina Hingis would have also been majorly impacted.

As for Capriati, I think she would have been third fiddle behind Graf/Seles, and maybe risen to the top when Hingis had her reign. I mean, we probably got a sense of how good she could have been in 2001-02, and most of her "lost" Slams would probably have been after Steffi's last great year in 1996.

There is no doubt in my mind that Seles was in the same talent tier as Graf, Navratilova, and Evert (with arguably the highest peak level of all of them), and without that tragedy would have definitely found her way to 15++ Slams. So in your scenario, I see final Slam counts being more like: Graf 18-20, Seles 15-20, Capriati 6-8. So that's an extra 9-16 or so, which I'm taking 2-4 from Graf, and the other 7-12 from Hingis, Sanchez Vicario, and other players.

But who knows!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

question MM.. Why does Coco needs Brad? If she isnt developing her game to the level Osaka's game is, what does he provide for Coco? Sasha B would be better for her game.

I think with any player you just have to try to improve their skills and weapons, you cant be comparing your player to another player period, that would be a thankless exercise, and Coco to me has better volley skills than Osaka, and has a better transition game to the net than Osaka
To me Coco hasnt really played well since the AO, I know her team are tweaking her serve? though in ways it has back fired, she in IW committed 17 DFs in one match? I remember that match Tossip and I were having kittens, though Coco said she is still going for her serve and is prepared to have DFs, though at times the DFs have come at a wrong time in the match.
The fhand is still a glaring thorn in her game, Iga kept exposing it in their SF match today, Coco arrives late with her feet and dosent have the time to hit her fhand at times, she is one of the best athletes in the womens tour, though at present still is a area where all players try to expose it and force Coco to commit a UFE.
We all wanted Coco to get another coach than her parents, so she could take the next step in her career, she did that with Brad and remember he was there when she won the USO. Another factor is she is still young, I think we all forget that, so she has time on her side, also she has a great fighting spirit.
I dont like players switching coaches, they have to have consistency.,unless their partnership isnt working at all.
I am interested to see how Coco plays on grass this year, she has the game to be good on grass, though at present she needs her serve to be more consistent and that fhand hopefully will be on the improve.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Sounds like a thread topic, though I know the Seles What If story is sort of like the WTA's version of the Borg What If story.

I know a lot less about women's tennis, but my sense is that this scenario would have impacted lesser players more than Graf, who held her own against peak Seles and still ruled Wimbledon. I mean, she'd probably have won fewer Slams, but I'm looking more at players like Vicario Sanchez, Mary Pierce, Conchita Martinez and of course all those Slams Graf didn't play in the late 90s. Martina Hingis would have also been majorly impacted.

As for Capriati, I think she would have been third fiddle behind Graf/Seles, and maybe risen to the top when Hingis had her reign. I mean, we probably got a sense of how good she could have been in 2001-02, and most of her "lost" Slams would probably have been after Steffi's last great year in 1996.

There is no doubt in my mind that Seles was in the same talent tier as Graf, Navratilova, and Evert (with arguably the highest peak level of all of them), and without that tragedy would have definitely found her way to 15++ Slams. So in your scenario, I see final Slam counts being more like: Graf 18-20, Seles 15-20, Capriati 6-8. So that's an extra 9-16 or so, which I'm taking 2-4 from Graf, and the other 7-12 from Hingis, Sanchez Vicario, and other players.

But who knows!

Very good post.. the eye watching Seles hit the ball was just amazing how she could paint the lines. Watching Monica Seles was really watching an artist. Another point that was unknown Monica may not have reached a peak prime potential before she was stabbed. Who knows Monica may have had a career similar to Serena's.

 

[the AntiPusher]

I think with any player you just have to try to improve their skills and weapons, you cant be comparing your player to another player period, that would be a thankless exercise, and Coco to me has better volley skills than Osaka, and has a better transition game to the net than Osaka
To me Coco hasnt really played well since the AO, I know her team are tweaking her serve? though in ways it has back fired, she in IW committed 17 DFs in one match? I remember that match Tossip and I were having kittens, though Coco said she is still going for her serve and is prepared to have DFs, though at times the DFs have come at a wrong time in the match.
The fhand is still a glaring thorn in her game, Iga kept exposing it in their SF match today, Coco arrives late with her feet and dosent have the time to hit her fhand at times, she is one of the best athletes in the womens tour, though at present still is a area where all players try to expose it and force Coco to commit a UFE.
We all wanted Coco to get another coach than her parents, so she could take the next step in her career, she did that with Brad and remember he was there when she won the USO. Another factor is she is still young, I think we all forget that, so she has time on her side, also she has a great fighting spirit.
I dont like players switching coaches, they have to have consistency.,unless their partnership isnt working at all.
I am interested to see how Coco plays on grass this year, she has the game to be good on grass, though at present she needs her serve to be more consistent and that fhand hopefully will be on the improve.

Coco may have great results on the grass. For years I NEVER understood why Venus didnt serve and volley when she was getting towards the end of her prime. Venus left quite a few slams on the table especially she should have defeated Mugu.. I think Coco could be effective on the grass but that serve is going to have to improve.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Gauff/ Siniakova are in the doubles SF
Paolini/Errani are also in the doubles SF

A point I would like to make regarding Osaka, she never bothered improving her singles game by playing doubles, the game has changed today, just standing on the baseline and powering your way to a win, it will only get you so far, top players are always trying to improve their overall games, to be on top of their opponents, and give them a edge, good volley skills is just another valued weapon in any players over all game.

 

[kskate2]

LOL! Vaidisova, didnt she have a realationship with that ugly tennis player, Radak Stepanek

gurl, it was more than a relationship. She married the dude twice and had his bambinos.

 

[kskate2]

I think with any player you just have to try to improve their skills and weapons, you cant be comparing your player to another player period, that would be a thankless exercise, and Coco to me has better volley skills than Osaka, and has a better transition game to the net than Osaka
To me Coco hasnt really played well since the AO, I know her team are tweaking her serve? though in ways it has back fired, she in IW committed 17 DFs in one match? I remember that match Tossip and I were having kittens, though Coco said she is still going for her serve and is prepared to have DFs, though at times the DFs have come at a wrong time in the match.
The fhand is still a glaring thorn in her game, Iga kept exposing it in their SF match today, Coco arrives late with her feet and dosent have the time to hit her fhand at times, she is one of the best athletes in the womens tour, though at present still is a area where all players try to expose it and force Coco to commit a UFE.
We all wanted Coco to get another coach than her parents, so she could take the next step in her career, she did that with Brad and remember he was there when she won the USO. Another factor is she is still young, I think we all forget that, so she has time on her side, also she has a great fighting spirit.
I dont like players switching coaches, they have to have consistency.,unless their partnership isnt working at all.
I am interested to see how Coco plays on grass this year, she has the game to be good on grass, though at present she needs her serve to be more consistent and that fhand hopefully will be on the improve.

I don't know that Brad alone is the problem @the AntiPusher. I've said this before, It was the combo of Brad & Perrebi that elevated her game last summer. Coco did what many youngsters do after winning their maiden slam, they changed their coaching team. Coco's movement is the best in the business. She can be aggressive by turning the match into a track meet. Not on every point, but throw enough of those points in to disrupt Iga's rhythm. Do that, serve well and break when you get BP and you might just have a chance.

 

[kskate2]

Gauff/ Siniakova are in the doubles SF
Paolini/Errani are also in the doubles SF

A point I would like to make regarding Osaka, she never bothered improving her singles game by playing doubles, the game has changed today, just standing on the baseline and powering your way to a win, it will only get you so far, top players are always trying to improve their overall games, to be on top of their opponents, and give them a edge, good volley skills is just another valued weapon in any players over all game.

Welp, there's a reason why she was named Naomi-me-me. That gamestyle won her 4 slams, she's not interested in changing.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Welp, there's a reason why she was named Naomi-me-me. That gamestyle won her 4 slams, she's not interested in changing.

Pity, with her serve and if she did improve her volley skills, playing doubles would have helped, she could do well on grass,

 

[the AntiPusher]

I don't know that Brad alone is the problem @the AntiPusher. I've said this before, It was the combo of Brad & Perrebi that elevated her game last summer. Coco did what many youngsters do after winning their maiden slam, they changed their coaching team. Coco's movement is the best in the business. She can be aggressive by turning the match into a track meet. Not on every point, but throw enough of those points in to disrupt Iga's rhythm. Do that, serve well and break when you get BP and you might just have a chance.

Coco switched to Brad just a few weeks before her maiden GS victory...So its fair to give the old coach staff the majority of the credit. My issues are Brad and Perrebi hasn't developed her game. Same FH and serve like a college tennis player. I'm surprised Patrick couldn't fix her strokes either. That's why I'm suggesting Sasha B or Kauma Murray who may have a different way trying to tweak and improve to clean up her strokes. Coco has been getting by on mostly sheer athletic ability which makes her vulnerable against a pure technician like Iga or Ash Barty.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Coco switched to Brad just a few weeks before her maiden GS victory...So its fair to give the old coach staff the majority of the credit. My issues are Brad and Perrebi hasn't developed her game. Same FH and serve like a college tennis player. I'm surprised Patrick couldn't fix her strokes either. That's why I'm suggesting Sasha B or Kauma Murray who may have a different way trying to tweak and improve to clean up her strokes. Coco has been getting by on mostly sheer athletic ability which makes her vulnerable against a pure technician like Iga or Ash Barty.

A lot of players have technical coaches, to help and improve their ground strokes, maybe a technical coach could improve the fhand of Coco as her bhand to me is world class, I have to agree with you Coco's coaches to date have not improved her fhand at all, I dont like he grip on her fhand for starters.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

There are 2 Womens Doubles SFmatches commencing at 1pm local time on Court Simonne Mathieu
Friday 7th May,

S/Errani/J.Paolini (11) vs M.Kostyuk/E,G Ruse ( what a tournament Jaz is having)

C.Gauff/K.Siniakova (5) vs C.Dolehide/D.Krawczyk (8)

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Paolini/Errani are the first team through to the Womens Doubles Final, defeating Kostyuk/Ruse 16 64 61
They await the winner of the 2nd Womens SF Gauff/Sinakova or Dolehide/Krawczky which will be played shortly.
Jasmine Paolini will be in the final of the singles and doubles tournament at RG....what a tournament Jasmine is having!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

In the other Ladies Doubles SF,
Gauff/Siniakova (5) d C.Dolehide/D.Krawczky 57 64 62

Ladies Doubles Final is set,

Errani/Paolini (11) vs Gauff/Siniakova (5)

BTW Interesting comments from Gauff in her press conference,
Says she really wants to win a doubles slam and that she's not sure if she'd continue to chase more of them in doubles if she were to win the French Open this weekend