British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

RE: Weeks 27 & 28 - The Championships, Wimbledon (Womens') (grass) - main draw

markymc1983 · Club Coach

Stircrazy wrote:
That was agonising! Emma did us proud. I sure hope someone can knock the Russian off her perch between now & the final.

Sabalenka is Belarusian and has openly took a stance against her governments support of Russia so this is a very unnecessary comment. I personally think she has a great personality and a great game, so hats off.

Well done Emma, did yourself proud and proved what standard you can have

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

markymc1983 wrote:
Stircrazy wrote:
That was agonising! Emma did us proud. I sure hope someone can knock the Russian off her perch between now & the final.
Sabalenka is Belarusian and has openly took a stance against her governments support of Russia so this is a very unnecessary comment. I personally think she has a great personality and a great game, so hats off.
Well done Emma, did yourself proud and proved what standard you can have

She spoke well after the final and is definitely the most entertaining and best known woman left in this.

Personally, hard to see her not winning this title now unless she beats herself

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

B00thy wrote:
Stircrazy wrote:
That was agonising! Emma did us proud. I sure hope someone can knock the Russian off her perch between now & the final.
Wasn't Sabalenka born in Minsk?

She was. Nationality duly corrected.

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

I thought Emma performed well in patches but also had some horrible spells, two of the games in which she was broken were just horrendous. Her return on 2nd serve set point in the tiebreak was far too safe, awful forehand error on bp at 4-2*, 85 mph 2nd serve at 40-30 *4-3.

Her play is so predictable, forever hitting crosscourt, so her opponent can simply wait there.

Anyway, at least she's got something to build on.

indiana · Tennis legend

Missed it all but intend to watch back all the match including all the good bits and horrible bits.

Yes kundalini, I reckon Emma has something to build on

RJH1962 · Strong Club Player

Stircrazy wrote:
That was agonising! Emma did us proud. I sure hope someone can knock the Belarusian off her perch between now & the final.

-- Edited by Stircrazy on Friday 4th of July 2025 09:29:30 PM

Emma played really well. Not many would beat her. Perhaps needs to work on her net game to get to the very top end

I maybe the only one but I actually like Sabalenka and other than Sonay hope she wins.

Danny1312 · Strong Club Player

kundalini wrote:
I thought Emma performed well in patches but also had some horrible spells, two of the games in which she was broken were just horrendous. Her return on 2nd serve set point in the tiebreak was far too safe, awful forehand error on bp at 4-2*, 85 mph 2nd serve at 40-30 *4-3.

Her play is so predictable, forever hitting crosscourt, so her opponent can simply wait there.

Anyway, at least she's got something to build on.

Great analysis! I'd actually say till 4-2 on both she was mixing it up a bit more then went into predictable mode at the point in both! Far better when she would mix up her shots. And the set point on second serve in the TB was litterally a hit me ball for Sabalenca! anyway lots of positives to build on! Really nice game till she gets ahead just needs to hold it at those points imo.

Peter too · Tennis legend

I think the difference came down to experience of playing high level matches at a very high intensity. Emma's intensity dropped off towards the end of each set, when she was in a set winning position, while Sabalenka maintained her intensity to the end. Emma has rarely been in such a position before, while Sabalenka must have experienced it many times before.

dodrade · Futures qualifying

Great to see Sonay and Emma play so well. Mark Petchey seems the ideal coach for her but I worry what happens when he has to go back to Tennis Channel. On the other hand I'm worried Jeremy Bates may stick around Sonay!

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I thought Emma played extremely well

She was stubborn about certain things - she was losing all those crosscourt forehand rallies but kept going for them - but that can also be because she didn't feel she would make the down-the-line shot, or the middle shot would be too short i.e. players may go for shots that are not the 'right' shots but are the easier shots for them, at least they're making good shots, coz they know that if they went for the 'right' shot, they'd fluff it so there's no point

To me, the key point was that Sabalenka played her cr*p points/games when it didn't really matter (the game where got broken in the second set was just horrendous but it was early in the set)

And at the important points/games, Sabalenka really locked in, no faults, agressive tennis

Emma played her more entreprising, free tennis (and lovely tennis it was) at the less important moments (start of each set) and then looked a little more tight at the key moments - although it was also because Sabalenka made it so hard at the key moments - two sides of the same coin