Boys & Girls: Australian Open Junior Championships

djlovesyou · Strong Club Player

RE: Boys & Girls: Australian Open Junior Championships

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

It must have been pretty severe, whatever it was, to retire in the middle of a game because the final score is quoted as 5-2 and Bogdan was 30-0 up serving at 5-2

Edit - Bogdan's retirement that is, well done Heather for getting back on track.

Even if they don't stop for the heat at the end of this set I will be off to bed! I couldn't see out a third set.

-- Edited by Madeline at 00:43, 2009-01-29

RBBOT · Futures qualifying

She's gonna have a tough time against the Thai girl tomorrow, she seems to be hammering everyone.

She does, although Laura's head-to-head is in her favour. Hopefully the lack of an 11,000 strong partisan crowd won't change the result from last time.

Or better still, they could put it in the air conditioned Rod Laver arena in front of a 14,000 strong hopefully partisan crowd!

-- Edited by RBBOT at 00:44, 2009-01-29

wolf · Tennis legend

Wow what fighting spirit from Heather! Down and out and she has suddenly found a way back in!

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

According to the BBC Bogdan retired after turning her ankle.

philwrig · Hall of fame

ankle injury is the reason for the retirement.

steven · Tennis legend

RBBOT wrote:
Or better still, they could put it in the air conditioned Rod Laver arena in front of a 14,000 strong hopefully partisan crowd!

Now there's a plan!

DavidC · Tennis legend

6-3 7-5 to Pervak. Shame - great effort from Heather. First time Pervak has been forced to an extended set in 9 junior matches this year.

-- Edited by DavidC at 00:59, 2009-01-29

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Oh shame, Heather has lost 3-6 5-7. I was hoping she could take this set on a tiebreak and come back refreshed after the heat break - because once again she was in the only match playing while all the others except the air-conditioned RLA one seemed to have stopped.

RBBOT · Futures qualifying

I was just looking at the press interview over the roof closing controversy. The 2nd show court, the HiSense arena, also has a roof and air-conditioning, but they refuse to schedule Junior matches onto it in normal couse of events as they prefer to have smaller stadiums full than big ones mostly empty.

You'd think they'd engage their brains in this heat and move some of these semi-final matches into it.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Plucky effort from Heather because I believed Pervak to be the marginal favourite to win the tournament . However the thai girl looks to be the favourite now clearly revelling in the heat but she has had an easier draw.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Have they moved some matches over to the Hisense arena?

-- Edited by philwrig at 01:06, 2009-01-29

-- Edited by philwrig at 02:57, 2009-01-29

steven · Tennis legend

From the BBC:

"Bogdan was leading 5-1 in the second set and had deuce when she turned badly on her left ankle. She limped back to her chair and had treatment from the doctor and physios.

"She wanted to continue because she knew if the match went to one set all, the extreme heat policy would be enforced the players would be brought off.

"So she limped back to the baseline and played four more points (actually winning two of them) before the doctor walked onto the court and basically forced her to retire.

"Bogdan was in tears and her coach was shaking his head but she was in no position to play and for her own good it was the right decision. Referee Scott Ray has just confirmed that the Doctor has the power to take such a decision if it's in the player's best interests."

RBBOT · Futures qualifying

Are the BBC going to tack that sentence about James losing onto every single Juniors article for the rest of the tournament? I presume this is like the Gaza appeal thing, where they have to show gender neutrality!

Meanwhile, I've just looked at Noppawan's records. Although her form looks good at the moment, she doesn't seem to meet/beat many tough opponents. In women's events I can only find one instance of her playing an opponent who was in the top-200 at year end, and that was when she beat Melanie South, whereas Laura's beaten two and taken a set off two more including a player ranked 42. Her opponents in this tournament have all had low junior rankings (153,47,441 & 97), and since Wimbledon, she's only beaten 4 juniors ranked 20-50 plus Heather Watson in the US open who may be ranked 13 now, but was far lower at the time; all her other wins have been against opposition outside the top 50. In that same period, she has lost to a total of 6 opponents, the highest (apart from Laura) ranked 22 now. However, I'd imagine the heat will be to her advantage coming from Thailand.

-- Edited by RBBOT at 01:34, 2009-01-29

johnnylad · Tennis legend

Laura and Anna have withdrawn from the doubles losing by w/o.