Week 22 - Roland Garros main draw (women) - Paris, France - Clay

markymc1983 · Club Coach

RE: Week 22 - Roland Garros main draw (women) - Paris, France - Clay

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Complete brain fa*t moment - sorry mark

(she still was talking a whole heap of sense!!!)

paulisi · Tennis legend

Very impressed with Hev's backhand, it was causing Halep all sorts of problems.

If Hev can sort out the errors on the forehand,(could be technical according to Bartoli) then I can see her inside top 20.

I would say currently playing well enough to be ranked top 30

Spectator · All-time great

Maybe the general rule is that French (or semi-French) GS champions make good commentators

! (I'd commented earlier on Mary Pierce, who seems to have the same positive attributes as Bartoli ... which may have caused the confusion).

Jaffa · Challenger level

She's certainly come in to her own, I thought Bartoli was a bit poor the first couple of times she did it, but I was enthralled by her analysis today!

Jaffa · Challenger level

Actually, on that note I heard John Inverdale call a MTB a champions tie break today... I was almost sick!

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I thought the most interesting thing Marion (qui? quoi?) said was that one of Heather's main problem, as in costing her points, was in her movement i.e. something that we tend to think is so good.
But she was being very specific that it was her 'recovery' movement directly after her serve that she was talking about, that Heather's second shot was letting her down because she didn't recover quick enough and was just not properly ready.

(NB I won't really defend John Inverdale but I still prefer him SO much over John LLoyd and Andrew Castle . . .)

indiana · Tennis legend

Ah, just heard some of the Radio 5 Live commentary on Heather's match and I did think it was Mary Pierce. Maybe my imagination, or maybe we are at cross purposes between TV and radio.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

I was going between watching and listening - I think it was Marion on TV and Mary on radio, but I'm not absolutely sure.

markymc1983 · Club Coach

It was definitely Marion on itv4, they were chatting about her father and his unique coaching and also her Wimbledon triumphant. I really enjoyed her, very insightful i.e. Heathers lack of hip rotation with the forehand, how she should be looking to take the ball earlier to take time away from her opponents as she isn't the most powerful of players etc. She also seems very humble and sweet natured. I have never heard Mary commentate but would like to as I was a big fan of hers during her playing days.

Miriambee · Futures level

Mary Pierce was on 5 live extra I think, heard it while getting tea tonight.

korriban · Challenger level

markymc1983 wrote:
It was definitely Marion on itv4, they were chatting about her father and his unique coaching and also her Wimbledon triumphant. I really enjoyed her, very insightful i.e. Heathers lack of hip rotation with the forehand, how she should be looking to take the ball earlier to take time away from her opponents as she isn't the most powerful of players etc. She also seems very humble and sweet natured. I have never heard Mary commentate but would like to as I was a big fan of hers during her playing days.

Yes Marion's insights on movement, court position and moving forward were brilliant, especially when linked to her dad's specific practice drills. Marion was a poor athlete who made up for it with almost insanely fast reactions, so she could hit the ball earlier than just about everyone else and from a more advanced court position. Mr Bartoli would throw her balls to hit even before she had completed her service action, to improve shot preparation and foot movement and would have 2 balls in play to improve anticipation, peripheral vision, etc. At one point Marion spotted that Hev could have stepped up the court to take a series of shots, but chose to retreat and play the ball later......she wasnt happy!

Heather would benefit from some of those practice drills, Laura would probably benefit 100 times more.

paulisi · Tennis legend

No.3 seed gone now. Halep tp win?

indiana · Tennis legend

Stosur (19) beat Cibulkova (9) to set up a probable L16 meeting with Sharapova, but you wouldn't count on it.

So much for my 'ah the top 2 seeds may have gone, but all the seeds from 3 to 11 are still in situ'. Well, they were before play commenced today.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Well, I'm sticking with Ivanovic, although she's got a big ask in her quarter (and she'll probably now lose in straight sets . . .)

Sam's serve was on absolute fire - just gorgeous - but that comes and goes . . .

There are definitely some really 'weak-on-paper' quarters though - there'll be some big changes in ranking at the end of this tournament