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Post by Traveling Man on May 30, 2011 11:55:50 GMT -5
Sharapova got off to a horrdenous start. She's down 0-3 but has played two decent points now - she could just hit herself out of this match if the errors keep up.
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Post by Traveling Man on May 30, 2011 12:02:10 GMT -5
Troicki serving at 5-0 against Anduh.
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Post by Traveling Man on May 30, 2011 13:44:25 GMT -5
Sharapova takes out Radwanska 7-6, 7-5. Radwanska led 4-1 in the first set and 5-3 in the second. She had five setpoints, including serving at 5-4 4-0 but blew it. For once, the SEWTA playbook works out well.
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Post by Wagasi on May 30, 2011 13:57:02 GMT -5
How does that work out well? Now Shriek will Shriek her way to the title and the career slam. Good for her I suppose but this is SEWTA 2011.
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Post by lexpretend on May 30, 2011 14:20:18 GMT -5
Oh yeah, she always looked like she could be 4 Real. But what the hell happened in those 18 months? Horrendous loss after horrendous loss, out of step with the rest of her progress. Yeah. And what happened right after the Wimbledon breakthrough last year? 5 straight 1r exits. And why has she played two Challengers this year? Something odd is up with her. Li Na did very well to win that match today. From 0-3 down in the third! Mini-slump immediately following the Wimbledon breakthrough is kinda understandable. Like Fran, she was still on a high, and she got out of it soon enough. I just don't get that 18-month black hole that makes no sense given her overall career arc. She was never hyped as a kid, though, I remember that - whereas you got to hear about Sharapova, de Brito et al well before they even played a pro match, people only noticed Kvitova after she steamed through the Hidden World. Yay Petkorazzi, got in just in time to see her MP. Please, please repeat Australia.
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Post by lexpretend on May 30, 2011 14:22:27 GMT -5
Bottom half has so much potential to be amazing...a Li/Petkovic SF would give me SO MUCH LIFE.
The alternative is too hideous to contemplate.
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Post by Grarliner on May 30, 2011 14:23:46 GMT -5
Radwanska-Sharapova was a match that was decided by a couple of points, no more. If Aga could have held on serving at 4-2 in the first she probably would have won the set. In the second set, Maria snapped her game back into form at exactly the right moment to save those setballs. I'm really impressed by her mental toughness but man! That could have gone the other way. Aga was right there.
Next is Petkovic and ... I am suddenly not thinking Andrea can do it again. Sharapova doesn't like her and you know this isn't like Australia. She's going to come out with all guns blazing and I think Shazza will win it.
The other quarter is pretty interesting too. Azarenka has never reached the last four at a major. From what I saw against Makarova, she didn't play excellently either. Meanwhile, Li Na has taken 3 of their 4 meetings including this year in Australia routinely. Maybe Li has more surprises up her sleeve. I certainly did not think she would get past Kvitova.
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Post by Traveling Man on May 30, 2011 14:37:11 GMT -5
How does that work out well? Now Shriek will Shriek her way to the title and the career slam. Good for her I suppose but this is SEWTA 2011. This works out well because for once it's not a Sistah! who's benefitting. Shriek's not winning the career slam.
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Post by Traveling Man on May 30, 2011 14:40:48 GMT -5
The Sharapova-Petkovic match could go either way. After watching Sharapova's match against Radwanska, it's obvious that she's not playing or moving very well - it comes and goes in patches. Any opponent who exposes her movement successfully will win fairly easily. I don't expect Petkovic to win as easily as she did in Melbourne, but she's got a very good shot. She had a meltdown in Miami after winning the first set but Maria did have trouble closing out that match. Even if Maria wins the QF somehow, she'll be a huge underdog against either Li or Azarenka.
From what little I saw of Azarenka and Makarova, there wasn't much to assess as Makarova made routine errors. Li did have an easy time with Azza in Melbourne and played well against Kvitova but this one could go either way. The winner has a BYE to the finals.
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Post by lexpretend on May 30, 2011 15:09:43 GMT -5
I wouldn't call Maria a BYE in a Slam SF against either a clay-averse basher who can go off at any time, or against a first time SFist.
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Post by Wagasi on May 30, 2011 15:57:32 GMT -5
Yeah, the only acceptable winners at this point are in the top half. I'll cheer for Li in an OMGWTFBBQ kind of way if she faces Cake or Chunk in the final but even that's stretching it.
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Post by lexpretend on May 30, 2011 16:01:17 GMT -5
Oh, I'd be totally pro a Li win, but even if her matches against Azza and Shazza are winnable, I struggle to see her landing her first major at RG. Thinking about it, I guess she's my #1 fave left? Joint with Fran, maybe, but Fran already has a Slam.
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Post by Traveling Man on May 30, 2011 16:22:41 GMT -5
I wouldn't call Maria a BYE in a Slam SF against either a clay-averse basher who can go off at any time, or against a first time SFist. I agee that she's got the fight and big match experience but Maria's been unimpressive, thus far. In her only previous SF at RG, she was ripped apart by Ivanovic. Li played well to take out Kvitova and would be favored if she managed the same against Azarenka. They had that really close match in '09 when Maria just came back and Maria barely escaped in three and that was back when Li was not nearly as good. Azarenka took care of Maria easily in the Miami final and was up a set against her in Rome when she retired. Both women have the ability to keep Maria moving which makes her ineffective and ofcourse all 3 have a tendency to ball-bash which cancels each other out. Maybe a bye is being harsh, but she'd definitely have to be the underdog. I don't understand why the press have been labeling Maria as the favourite when Sveta and Fran are still around, let alone Li or Azarenka. I'd give Maria a chance if she were playing Pavlyuchenkova or Bartoli, ofcourse. Against Petkovic it's 50/50 but on clay I'd have to rate the others above her.
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Post by Traveling Man on May 30, 2011 16:26:04 GMT -5
I don't know why I'm obsessed with the idea of Bartoli winning because it'd be hilarious but also because she's so awesome and I her. I'd root for her over anyone else, including Maria. I want Pavlyuchenkova, Petkovic and Azarenka out of this tournament for some reason even though I don't dislike any of them. So yes, I want a Bartoli-Sharapova final with Bartoli winning. This will never happen. Kuznetsova-Schiavone is the defacto final. Even though Fran already has an RG title, I'd be happy for her just because I love to watch her play tennis and the passion and joy she feels when she's out there is a nice change from the moping and whining we're accustomed to from the other girls.
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Post by lexpretend on May 30, 2011 16:26:07 GMT -5
That Li match was just Maria's second tournament back after her huge lay-off, and Li still couldn't beat her. She has improved though, but she can always just go off for no reason, and she can't use the clay against Sharapova.
Anywhere but a Slam SF, I'd pick Azza over Maria without hesitation. But I just don't know how she'll react to the situation.
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Post by lexpretend on May 30, 2011 16:28:16 GMT -5
I must say I'm a lot more enthusiastic about the possibilities of a women's tennis Slam second week than I normally am - I think this tournament has been a success, objectively. 5/8 4R matches went three sets! And I don't think any of them was a disaster.
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Post by Traveling Man on May 30, 2011 16:30:36 GMT -5
That Li match was just Maria's second tournament back after her huge lay-off, and Li still couldn't beat her. She has improved though, but she can always just go off for no reason, and she can't use the clay against Sharapova. Anywhere but a Slam SF, I'd pick Azza over Maria without hesitation. But I just don't know how she'll react to the situation. Agreed. With Li there's always the danger of her going off the boil and spraying errors all over the place. Maria's been overhitting the ball in her early rounds but plays the big points well - but that's been against lower quality opposition. Azza is the big question mark here. Never played a Slam SF before and the highest seed left in the draw in addition to knowing this is a golden opportunity for her to really make a mark in a Slam. She's moved along quietly under the radar in the first week but with the upsets complete, there'll be a lot of attention on her. And she is one who's prone to tantrums and outbursts.
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Post by Traveling Man on May 30, 2011 16:37:18 GMT -5
I must say I'm a lot more enthusiastic about the possibilities of a women's tennis Slam second week than I normally am - I think this tournament has been a success, objectively. 5/8 4R matches went three sets! And I don't think any of them was a disaster. And of the three that didn't go three sets, Sharapova-Radwanska was close to 2 hours and had lots of twists and turns. Bartoli-Dulko ended in retirement but the first set had some good shotmaking. Azarenka-Makarova appeared to be a bust from what little I saw, but can't complain.
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Post by Old Hag on May 30, 2011 20:13:12 GMT -5
Petkorazzi is about as hapless as Maria on clay. Maria has to be the favorite, just because she's better. But, that's probably like 6-2 6-2 going to whoever doesn't totally suck.
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