Week 2 - WTA International ($227K) - Hobart, Australia - Hard

LordBrownof · Futures level

RE: Week 2 - WTA International ($227K) - Hobart, Australia - Hard

Sim · County player

PaulM wrote:
Bit of good news for Joss and Anna. They just make the Oz Open cut.

Hopefully that will give them a boost. Financially their decision to go down-under has paid off, now for the tennis.....

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Jossanna warming up, and in a welcome surprise, streams are available!

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

First set, two breaks to none.
Brief observations:-
They look OK in their general play - and also well conditioned, both noticeably increasingly toned.
Joss quite often really telegraphs her moves, goes far too early and leaves a side open. She also returns generally high over the net, and a bit without purpose.
Anna is not very good with the ball coming at her as she's moving forward, or on the overhead. FH breaks down quite quickly on routine shots from the baseline.
They don't seem to have much of a routine plan or strategy for a full time pair.
Volleys taken across the body generally a problem.
3-6

Edit: PS: Anna is obviously really good at football

-- Edited by insomniacfolder on Tuesday 12th of January 2016 03:45:59 AM

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Second set...
Be glad you were asleep - they were pretty bad

Served OK, but everything else just disintegrated
Honestly, a casual observer might think they didn't seem to care and were going through the motions, and though we know these players better than that, you'd have a hard time mounting a persuasive defence.

Need a spark, a jolt, a something.

Jossanna lose 3-6 0-6

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

So, then on to Hev & JoKo, in a battle of two pairings with clear Olympic intentions in mind.
Hibino played (and lost) in singles earlier, which might help, as hopefully, will Heathers mixed outings at Hopman Cup already.

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Already a far better match than the previous one.
GB quickly went down 1-4*
Heather consistently good at net.
Jo's FH and footwork a bit leaden.
Hibino though easily the standout player, hardly a foot wrong, and powerful returns mostly right back to the servers toes, she was winning the match on her own.
Team GB realised this and tried to play almost exclusively to Doi, which they had a little success with.
Doi though was just a less strong link rather than a weak one.
A slight recovery meant 3-4*
Hibino served 4 of 5 points unreturnable, *3-5
Jo held with Heather finishing most of the points volleying (gleefully?) right at an opponent. 4-5*
The momentum almost seemed to change, but Doi served out strongly, 3 times Jo made no contact with the serve swinging away
GB got better as the set went on, but never quite lifted to the consistent level that the Japanese maintained.
4-6

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Second set
Jo bad serving, Hibino good serving *0-2
Heather served an awful game including 2 DF, and every shot she played was an error, Jo didn't touch the ball in the game! 0-3*
After that, they got a bit mad, and recklessly attacked everything '110%'. It all came off and so they broke Doi to love! Happy madness

*1-3
They continued in the new 'banzai' mode, and Jo holds to love. Don't knock it if it works! 2-3*
Hibino's serve too strong to attack, though Nao did make the first error I can recall, she held easily *2-4
Good hold on Heather's serve, some really good rallies, Jo finally starting to go down the tramlines for the first time kept Doi honest, and opened up the court. Some very entertaining points in this game, finally won with a really good stop volley from Hev

3-4*
Doi serving, the away swinger again is repeatedly too good *3-5
More highly watchable points, all 4 players scrambling here and there, good angles and fast hands.
at *40-15, Hibino completely shanked a return off the frame, it floated up wildly and dropped right into the base corner for a clean winner. She's probably earned the luck, so well has she played, and dominated proceedings.
at *40-30 Heather missed an easy volley at net with both Japanese in the same half of the court
So, MP on the deuce, a Jo DF, and, just as the match was really coming alive, it was over in an instant

They look better at the moment than Jossanna, but in truth neither pair really looked at the races (except very late in set 2 in this match)

Jo & Heather lose 4-6 3-6

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Thanks for the summaries, insomniacfolde. The Australian Open/swing must be your natural habitat.

Thanks again

Spectator · All-time great

Thanks, indeed, IF. Very helpful, if slightly concerning, at least insofar as Ms Rae and Ms Smith go.

Wish Ms Hibino were still partnering Ms W-S!

PaulM · Tennis legend

Yeah Joss and Anna are in all sorts of bother. That was a poor loss.

indiana · Tennis legend

3 wins and 13 defeats for Jossanna since Wimbledon.

The betting had their match as a 50/50 one, which I did fear might be being optimistic. But I did think it would be much closer than that. Thanks ISF for such detail, grim read though it may be.

-- Edited by indiana on Tuesday 12th of January 2016 08:54:06 AM

insomniacfolder · Challenger level

Heather gets another night time slot, favourable for UK breakfast viewing.
She's on the HD streamed court, not before 08:00 UK tomorrow morning.

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

Thanks for the commentary ISF :)
Presumably Heather & Jo can team up again at the AO (and Fed Cup unless Jossanna start to click again)?

More immediately, fingers crossed for a singles W for Heather next against Niculescu; really important match to which hopefully Heather will bring her best form...

skibbarriz · Strong Club Player

That was very engaging and descriptive written commentary. Thank you for it insomniacfolder and much appreciated.

Pretty concerning stuff concerning Joss and Anna. It gives a good context to the barren run they've been on. Makes me wonder if there is a doubles coach in the GB FedCup set-up that could be assisting them, in the way Leon travelled with and supported James.