PaulM wrote:

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markymc1983 wrote:

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Katie cant shake the monkey off her shoulder. Sports psychologist needed?

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 Katie has never had a run at a "big" tournament. Her record across Slams and 1000s is terrible. She needs to address that to move into the top 20. Plenty of opportunities to do so this season.

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 It's always felt to me that Katie needs quicker courts to excel on, I am not sure how AO has played this year so far but in the past it has always been a fast surface. 

Going forwards, though, at the 1000 or slam level, it tends to be a slower mix until the summer and US hardcourts. From memory:

Doha - according to Tennis Abstract surface ratings, Doha was one of the slowest hardcourts last year (second slowest)

Dubai - contrary to Doha, Dubai played quickly last year and in past years. 

IW - slow and sticky

Miami - tend to be a little quicker, certainly than IW, but v humid and that slows down the ball through the air

then we have the clay (Madrid can play quicker with the thinner air but it is clay...)

Wimbledon - grass

Canada - Montreal last season played v slow for the men

Cincinnati - last season played reasonably quickly, similar to Miami speed wise

US Open - again, last season played above average and tends to be quick

Beijing - TA said it played slowly last year but usually the Chinese events have quicker surfaces 

Wuhan - per above

 Feels to me Katie's best opportunities come in the second half of the year, in terms of the big events, not sure if she plans to play Dubai (presumably she has to) but maybe Dubai and Miami are her best chances at a decent run in the next few months? 

indiana wrote:

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Good stuff, TA.

I reckon our top 10 women will be pushing their 'Stongest Nation' aggregate ranking count to yet a further new height.

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 Currently 1550 according to OER live rankings

Neil Gee wrote:

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I think Katie lost it in the first set tie break.

Sports psychologist indeed.

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 To me, the problem was going down 1-5 in the first place

The tie-break was a consequence of that

i.e. she'd fought so hard to get back on level terms, all that pressure, and effort, as the person behind - the tiebreak was always then likely to be a disappointment 

If she hadn't been 1-5 down, and it had been a 'normal' tiebreak, it would likely have been quite different 

That said, the third set was a stand alone set - which she lost pretty easily 

Coup Droit wrote:

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That made me laugh out loud

If that's now fine, what did they do before - walk past each other, snarl and spit ?

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 I know, right?

She said she wrote him a long message and he responded to say he was disappointed but understood. 

I dont see Andy coaching Emma at any time in the near future!  

There were a number of British established doubles players that were potentially less problematic as a partner.

Probably more chance of actually winning a match or two and they would no doubt have been so made up to have been given the opportunity.

Andy and Emma were basically as daft as each other over this proposed partnership. And should friendly admit as much to each other and move on.

Var wrote:

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JonH comes home wrote:

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Coup Droit wrote:

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That made me laugh out loud

If that's now fine, what did they do before - walk past each other, snarl and spit ?

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 I know, right?

She said she wrote him a long message and he responded to say he was disappointed but understood. 

I dont see Andy coaching Emma at any time in the near future!  

 

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 I dont think Emmas has anything to apologise about. We know she is going to be extra cautious with even the slightest twinge and pull out or reduce her matches in a tournament. If it was such a disappointment to Andy at the time he should have picked an experienced doubles player not the headline act. 

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 I still think he should have picked Ella McDonald

A good doubles player

Scottish

And an up-and-coming youngster

It would have been a lovely way of passing on the torch

(And if not, he should have picked Heather - the crowd would have loved it - they'd have had a laugh - and could well have won)

Picking Emma, trying to be headline news, was just plain stupid 

(and, yes, Emma - despite all her protestations - was never going to take a risk just for Andy's career swansong)