Tennis Discussion Thread

Yesterday should have pushed Heathers ranking some I'd have thought.

Ward 4-6 6-3 5-1 Pospisil

Ward is doing well at the moment and Murray still to come today.

@ snookered
Very fair point but surely if Say ward was two breaks up against Novak final set you would expect Ward to get it done? Pretty sure if I were to call up 365 to bet on Novak I would at lest get evens. Mainly because the power men have. If Watson is to compete with the best she must at least improve her serve.

If Ward gets through could play Murray next round, hard to know who to root for if that happens. Ward maybe English but can anyone really believe that he could go all the way even if beats Murray?
Murray is our best chance of a home win obviously. The agony of it all cheering a scot on against one of our own, just not worth even contemplating

^ Djokovic is another one very good in clutch situations especially against players with a relative lack of experience in finishing off matches against top players.
On this basis I would not back against him a lot of the time.
He has done it numerous times as top players often do in all sports. The unfamiliarity of being in a winning position can cost people dear in professional sport.
'Clinchers disease' kicks in due to the excitement at the prospect of winning. The significance of the possible overwhelms and often destroys the dream.
Champions don't assume anything, they just power on regardless.

Specifically with James Ward given the exact situation you describe I would apply one important caveat.
Ward has come through clutch situations in pressure matches in The Davis Cup for Britain so he would perhaps fare better in a double break up situation than most other lower ranked players as Davis Cup is very intense.

Defending champion Petra Kvitova is out after being beaten 3-6 7-5 6-4 by Jelena Jankovic.

Bad luck James Ward going down 4-6 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-8 to Pospisil.

Ward played well just could not get anywhere near his opponents serve in the last set. His serve was almost unplayable in the last set.

In regard to kivitova getting knocked out, the fat lady may not have sung but she is warming up in the dressing room preparing to give Serena the women's trophy.

I suspect you are right and that Serena may well go on and clinch the title.
In theory the most realistic challenger to Serena is now out.
The only way I see Serena losing is if she presses the self destruct button as she has been known to do on occasion.

Sharapova I guess would be her main threat though has a shocking record against her. Something like 9-1 to Serena. Regardless I don't see anyone else launching a serious threat to Serena's crown. Maybe her sister

I think the Watson match was the perfect wake up call. When you have it to easy you can get a rude awakening like Murray did last year.
Maybe that was the case with Kivitova. On cruise control on the earlier matches and then bam. She is out.

As a Sharapova fan it pains me to say her head to head against Serena is not 9-1.
It is 17-2 .
I don't think Serena has lost to Sharapova for over 10 years.
That 2004 Wimbledon final must have really made her mad .

Andy Murray came through a sticky patch before beating Andreas Seppi 6-2 6-2 1-6 6-1