Week 34 - US Open women's qualies

indiana · Tennis legend

RE: Week 34 - US Open women's qualies

philwrig · Hall of fame

Shame for Laura but on the bright side no panic attack this year. Much tougher draw than last year so still decent progress over last year. I still don't think Laura will reach her peak until 20, when she will have mentally overcome these nerves. Her ranking should all things being equal finish at about the 250 level by the end of the year. This will leave her short of her target which is probably to be high enough for DA to Aussie qualies.

Week off to put this defeat to bed and then try and win the junior title where there is less pressure.

indiana · Tennis legend

Certainly doesn't seem anything like the panic of last year although more DFs did creep in laterally.

I see Neil Harman tweeted at one set all : "Robson getting a bit peeved. Nerves fraying"

From what we have seen of Laura at times, that is not unexpected, and my observations are that it doesn't help her game at all, more the reverse.

She is still 16 and I'd hope and expect nerves and generally also just getting down on herself to become steadily less of an issue, which can only help her flourish more.

I'm not sure when Laura is going to get close to her peak, but I would hope that she will have largely overcome the nerves issue a fair time before age 20.

philwrig · Hall of fame

I just think with the AER it will take her until the age of 20 to fully mature as a player, both physicially and mentally. She feels a great deal of pressure and only with more experience of these types of matches will she learn how to deal with this pressure. In big matches when she is the underdog she is fine, so we just have to be patient. On the positive side when she does make the breakthough which I am 100% confident she will , experiences like these will make her 100% ready for that period of her career.

philwrig · Hall of fame

According to Press Association report Vives used delaying tactics during the final set which appeared to rattle Laura.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jfkVBJv5opsxaQRXm5fx_FTYNZOA

indiana · Tennis legend

philwrig wrote:

I just think with the AER it will take her until the age of 20 to fully mature as a player, both physicially and mentally.

I'm maybe being slow here, but anyway...AER ?

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

Age Eligibility Rules

indiana · Tennis legend

Ah ha, that'll be it smile

I'm not sure how exactly they work, but aren't the restrictions on her opportunities for senior play very substantially relaxed in the next few years ? I would still hope and expect with that she will be well on top of her nerves a fair time before age 20. But anyway, time will tell.

-- Edited by indiana on Saturday 28th of August 2010 11:07:49 PM

philwrig · Hall of fame

My impressions of Laura's career so far is that she makes gradual improvements. Once she can play full time on the circuit, instead of all this stop start business, I think it will take her couple of years to fully mature as a player. Knowing how to deal with mental frailties when nervous will be part of that learning curve.

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Link to awesome blog re Laura at USO

philwrig · Hall of fame

Julia Carrot wrote:

Link to awesome blog re Laura at USO

Beat me to it, just spotted this as well. Looks to me that Laura's footwork in preparation to play shots was the best that I've seen it and also a liitle bit more rotation displayed in her service action. Might explain the improved ace count but also the lower 1st service %.

Saw a poster on TF say that at 3-3 in the final set Laura just looked if she ran out of gas, possibly the nerves of the occasion coupled with the endless moonballing rallies that she had to endure. Still to get a report on the match from either Mike Dickson or Neil Harman who tweeted during the match. As predicted didn't make it to Canada so with a full week to process this result and gain confidence from the fact that to me there is clear evidence that she has made a step forward.

Finally a comparison with Heather's match against another moonballing Spaniard Lino( who qualified) Heather also lost the first game of the match won the first set 6-2 and was 1-0 up in the second before going on to lose 2-6 6-4 6-3 with the same exact scoreline as Laura's.

Julia Carrot · All-time great

I hadn't noticed that scoreline was the same. Quite a coincidence. In a way, perhaps it would have been a shame if one had qualified and the other hadn't. I wonder if they'll meet in Juniors this time, Laura' junior rank is not high at the moment.

So, are you saying she has pulled out of Canada - was still on entry list yesterday?

philwrig · Hall of fame

Julia Carrot wrote:

I hadn't noticed that scoreline was the same. Quite a coincidence. In a way, perhaps it would have been a shame if one had qualified and the other hadn't. I wonder if they'll meet in Juniors this time, Laura' junior rank is not high at the moment.

So, are you saying she has pulled out of Canada - was still on entry list yesterday?

I'm pretty sure Heather won't be playing the juniors and I checked the draw for the Canadian junior tournament and Laura wasn't on it, both Pliskova's one of which only finished on Friday are though.

Julia Carrot · All-time great

philwrig wrote:

Julia Carrot wrote:

I hadn't noticed that scoreline was the same. Quite a coincidence. In a way, perhaps it would have been a shame if one had qualified and the other hadn't. I wonder if they'll meet in Juniors this time, Laura' junior rank is not high at the moment.

So, are you saying she has pulled out of Canada - was still on entry list yesterday?

I'm pretty sure Heather won't be playing the juniors and I checked the draw for the Canadian junior tournament and Laura wasn't on it, both Pliskova's one of which only finished on Friday are though.

Do check again because on the page I pull up she is in position 14 (as well the the Pliskovas, like you say.

I suspect Heather will get a wild card into the Juniors (as Laura did at Wimbledon) - but I may be wrong there..... (often am !!!!)

philwrig · Hall of fame

For the Canadian draw here's a link.

http://www.tennis-junior-repentigny.com/en/tabl_gs1_en.html

Heather has stated on a number of occasions recently that she has given up juniors and is solely concentrating on seniors, so we'll just have to see.