Week 34 US Open Qualifying

indiana · Tennis legend

Week 34 US Open Qualifying

Jajon · Club Coach

Heather served for it at 5-4 and got to 30-0then couldnt find a first serve and it wasnt pretty from there on out. She also got a point penalty at 5-5 for unsportsmanlike conduct, but no idea what she actually did!

Bejlek is obviously a talent but the serve is seriously weak

Peter too · Tennis legend

Q3: WATSON, Heather (GBR) 161 lost to BEJLEK, Sara (CZE) 194 6-4 4-6 5-7

Heather seemed to be coasting to victory serving at 5-4 in the final set and then from 30-0 it all fell apart.

-- Edited by Peter too on Saturday 27th of August 2022 12:56:30 AM

mbturner · Lower Club Player

Beyond disappointing. A very winnable match somehow thrown away.

the addict · Tennis legend

Heather seemed well in control in the first set when rain stopped play at 5-3. Sounds as if she got too tense at the crucial moments.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

mbturner wrote:
Beyond disappointing. A very winnable match somehow thrown away.

100%

How on earth did that happen?

On another note, congrats to Czech Rep - they've got THREE juniors all the way through qualis and into the main draw - that has to be a record - they really do have the most prodigious stable of young players

In fact, the juniors in general hog the limelight in this US Open quali draw - five in total

Novoska (2004) - Czech

Bejlek (2006) - Czech

Fruhvirtova (2005) - Czech

Kruger (2004) - USA

Andreeva (2004) - Russia

Nice also to see a Mexican woman qualify, as well as little fave Léolia Jeanjean ....

Good luck to all in 'doing an Emma'

PaulM · Tennis legend

Heather was, as usual rewarded for being aggressive, then punished for being passive when it counted. Should never have been broken from *30-0 she really threw it away. That will sting for a while she really did blow it sadly. Having been really solid at the net all match her advances at the end seemed increasingly panicky rather than assured, and once she was there her volleys were not good.

I will say though the point penalty seemed undeserved, and whatever hope she had of recovering from being broken for the match went out the window with it.

-- Edited by PaulM on Saturday 27th of August 2022 09:11:44 AM

mbturner · Lower Club Player

Who was she shouting at when she got the point penalty? She had already got the warning after throwing her racquets out of the pram.

PaulM · Tennis legend

I think it was people taking photos in the crowd, maybe had flashes on or were making noise during points?

Priesty · Challenger level

PaulM wrote:
Made a meal of it at the end but got over the line. Ferro has really sunk since the injuries.

This, retweeted by Pam Shriver, might offer some insight. My French is still good enough after 34 years to get the general idea but maybe CD can help us out -

https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/tennis/tennis-fiona-ferro-porte-plainte-contre-son-ex-entraineur-pour-viols-et-agressions-sexuelles_AD-202208310325.html

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Thanks Priesty.

That's obviously not the same as her injury problems at all.

And, yes, I'm sure you've understood just fine......unfortunately.

Fiona has accused her old coach of rape and sexual abuse, while she was age 15 to 18 (and he was about 40-45 years old)

Seemingly, the coach admits sexual intercourse etc but denies 'rape'.

He also confronted her about it, threateningly, it seems the evening before she filed the complaint.

The problem is that there has been the most huge recent media polemic about the age of consent (or lack of it) in France following some truly horrific stories of repeated rape and sexual abuse of a young girl (about 13, I think) by a whole cohort of firefighters in Paris which was not, under the laws at the time, a 'serious crime' because it was all about consent.

I believe that now, under the new April 2021 law, it is statutory rape to have sex with a girl (a person?) who is 15 - IF the man (person?) is more than 5 years older. Which is not good news for Pierre Bouteyre. There are also laws about sexual abuse from people in position of authority (teachers etc) which would surely apply to him. As well as 'standard' lack of consent rape, too, which might be more tricky.

Really shocking and horrific......

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Wednesday 31st of August 2022 02:58:44 PM

Nix · Futures level

This is absolutely shocking. Difficult to find my words and not say anything inappropriate. I hope she is getting a lot of support.

christ · Futures level

Well, everyday is a school day. I have just found out that if I right-click on non-English text, my Mac offers to translate it for me. Here is Apple's version of events, in (what seems to me) passable English:

Tennis player Fiona Ferro filed a complaint against her former coach Pierre Bouteyre for rape and sexual assault that allegedly took place between 2012 and 2015 in Saint-Raphaël, according to Nice-Matin's information confirmed to BFM Côte d'Azur. He was indicted on August 19 after a confrontation against the sportswoman.

Former coach of Alizé Cornet in particular, Pierre Bouteyre was indicted on August 19, according to information from Nice Matin confirmed to BFM Côte d'Azur. An indictment following the complaint filed by 25-year-old tennis player Fiona Ferro for rape and sexual assault by an authoritative person. A plain filed on February 25, 2022 and which followed a preliminary investigation of several months.

The alleged acts were allegedly committed in Saint-Raphaël between 2012 and 2015, when the player was between 15 and 18 years old. A confrontation between the 259th world player and her former coach took place the day before the indictment, according to sources close to the investigation. Pierre Bouteyre has since been placed under judicial control, and faces up to 20 years of criminal imprisonment.

He recognised the materiality of the facts but disputes the accusation of rape

The almost 51-year-old coach recognised the materiality of the facts but disputes the accusation of rape. Pierre Bouteyre is ordered not to approach Fiona Ferro as well as the order not to contact her. The coach also had to return his passport.

"He clearly had authority over her," said Mr. Colombani Isabelle, Fiona Ferro's lawyer contacted by phone. And a moral grip. [...] His coach? That was all for her... He was his surrogate father."

He was his surrogate father

To the first restrictive measures, is added, for the one who is still a coach, the ban on coaching minors. The mission of the investigation (with a maximum duration of two years) is to determine whether other similar acts could have been committed on other players.

Until then licensed at the Nice Lawn tennis club, Fiona Ferro will, according to Nice Matin, join a club in the Paris region. Currently 259th world player, she lost in the first round of the US Open qualifications a week ago.