Author Topic: AO 2005 - Women's Draw (Read 10517 times)

Tennis4you · « **Reply #20 on:** January 18, 2005, 11:34:46 AM »

Did anyone gets to see the Davenport / Martinez match? Davenport was either really on or Martinez just sucked. Davenport crushed her! I was hoping to see Davenport start strong, I hope she can win this thing. She is all class.

BitterBlueBong · « **Reply #21 on:** January 18, 2005, 01:45:07 PM »

Mary is way too erratic. I was hoping for a showdown with Sharapova again. I'm sure Lindsay was playing with her usual ability -- the scoreline doesn't surprise me.

Just as Arc hoped, Venus won (6-1, 7-5). She served for the match at 5-4, and was facing break point, and ESPN's coverage went dead! She ended up being broken for 5-5, then won the next two games at love to win the match. A little later, ESPN showed the rest of the match.

Tennis4you · « **Reply #22 on:** January 18, 2005, 02:01:12 PM »

Gotta love the mad respect they show tennis on ESPN! geesh!

I am pumped for tonights matches! I hope to see Fed in action again. I am sure we will.

Tennis4you · « **Reply #23 on:** January 19, 2005, 11:38:59 AM »

Lee-Waters (was that her name?) was pretty impressive yesterday against Sharapova. Maria could fo easily lost that one, she had to go to 3 sets.

Lee-Waters hit the snot out of the ball and moved well. She is the player who played in the 2000 US Open 5 1/2 months pregnant.

kittens25 · « **Reply #24 on:** January 19, 2005, 01:47:04 PM »

I saw Lee-Waters play Serena at the U.S open last year and it was a perfectly respectable match and scoreline, I believe it was 6-4, 6-3(?). She did not look overwhelmed or totally overmatched at all, she held her own in the fast paced rallies. She showed us some more of that ability today, and I am not stunned she could take a set off Sharapova, since she might have taken a set off Serena in that match had Serena not picked up the intensity at the end of both sets.

It is interesting she once was considering a promising prospect, then her career fizzled somewhat. I actually think she is a better player now than she was then, and I saw her when she was an up and comer in the mid 90s. She could be a top 20 player if she gets some breaks and reasonable draws. She needs to cut down the unforced errors a bit though, she is not Serena, Maria, and to a lesser extent Venus, who will get away with a certain quota of errors and still win regularly.

Arcforce · « **Reply #25 on:** January 19, 2005, 04:09:39 PM »

I agree Kitten. I dont care to go into deep details but I was very impressed by Lee Waters. When everyone was saying the pre-wimbledon Sharapova beat Lee-Waters something like 6-0 6-1 last year at the AO...I was expecting another beat down. Heck no, this girl showed up for the match and she held her own in the hard hitting rallies- out hitting Sharapova quite often. She shocked me and I see only age and fitness holding her back. Groundstrokes are amazing and volleys are wonderful...serve is decent. I hope she gets back on track cuz I'd love to root for her...We need another American female and Lindsay is just the woman to replace Lindsay.....(davenport) when she retires lol

Anyway, Yep, I was exciting that Venus won. It wasnt a gr8 match but she played not so gr8 and still managed to win. Which is always a good sign for a champ. Lets hope she gets it together. I cant wait to see her tonight.

Tennis Freak · « **Reply #26 on:** January 19, 2005, 04:38:07 PM »

who does she play tonight?

Arcforce · « **Reply #27 on:** January 19, 2005, 04:50:22 PM »

She is playing Shuai Peng.

Tennis4you · « **Reply #28 on:** January 19, 2005, 10:28:16 PM »

The #1 seed took a scare today and dropped the first set 2-6 Michaela Pastikova. But Davenport made a nice comeback to seal the deal 6-2, 6-2.

I hope that is not a sign of things to come for her in this tournament. She needs to step it up and start showing why she is seeded #1.

BitterBlueBong · « **Reply #29 on:** January 20, 2005, 08:15:41 AM »

Interesting that several of the top seeds (Mauresmo, Sharapova, Davenport) dropped the first set of their last match. But someone pointed out something even more interesting about Davenport's Australian Open history:

2nd Rd matches
2005: Davenport (1) def. Pastikova 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
2004: Davenport (5) def. Loit 6-3, 3-6, 6-0
2003: Davenport (9) def. Tulyaganova 6-7, 6-4, 7-5
2002: DNP
2001: Davenport (2) def. Q-Arn 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
2000: Davenport (2) def. Q-Irvin 6-4, 7-5

So except the year she won (BTW Davenport never dropped a set en route to her three grand slam titles), she's always had tough 2nd rounds at Oz.

Tennis4you · « **Reply #30 on:** January 20, 2005, 08:49:12 AM »

That is pretty wild. It is probably tough for the better players not to look ahead in the early rounds. It is a dangerous thing to do, but hey, they are all human! Who does Davnport play next? I hope she destroys them. I think she is another player who needs quick matches in week 1 to be able to survive in week two when things get tougher.

BitterBlueBong · « **Reply #31 on:** January 20, 2005, 12:33:58 PM »

Davenport plays Nicole Vaidisova (another one of those young, talented players to watch out for supposedly).

Tennis4you · « **Reply #32 on:** January 20, 2005, 12:46:35 PM »

Hmmm, should be interesting. Davenport hits the ball so clean and hard, but she just doesn;t have the movement. Sometimes it kills me to watch her run. Imagine if she had the speed of Venus or Serena, I think she would dominate!

BitterBlueBong · « **Reply #33 on:** January 20, 2005, 12:50:47 PM »

Quote

Davenport hits the ball so clean and hard, but she just doesn;t have the movement.

My thoughts exactly. But with her penetrating strokes, it's hard to exploit her weakness (though really, it seems like most people don't even try).

Tennis4you · « **Reply #34 on:** January 20, 2005, 01:03:10 PM »

She has to anticipate well to be able to keep up. Obviously she is not doing too bad, she is #1 in the world. I hope she wins this slam, I doubt she will though.

BitterBlueBong · « **Reply #35 on:** January 20, 2005, 01:04:05 PM »

Why do you doubt it?

Tennis4you · « **Reply #36 on:** January 20, 2005, 05:15:38 PM »

Anyone seen Sania Mirza play before? She gets Serena Williams tonight.

BitterBlueBong · « **Reply #37 on:** January 21, 2005, 01:55:34 AM »

Serena was sharp tonight.

kittens25 · « **Reply #38 on:** January 21, 2005, 09:14:05 AM »

I think it will be hard for Serena to win her. Mauresmo can only choke so many matches against Serena away, after handing her the Wimbledon semis and the year-end semis on a silver platter. Granted Serena might have a match that Mauresmo doesnt have to choke but given their last two she did need Mauresmo to choke, it is quite conceivable it could happen that way again. If she does somehow beat Mauresmo she would play Sharapova or Kuznetsova, young players with huge hitting who can power the ball with her, and while doubtlessly respecting her, are not in awe of her by anym eans. I find it amazing Serena gloated after her last win over Kuznetsova, it was good she didnt play her best and still won, when Kuznetsova was farther from her best and still had points to win. I like the chances of either of those beating her. If she is somehow still alive, which I doubt, she would play Davenport likely in the final, a player who has rediscovered how to beat her.

I think she will win atleast one slam this year, and could be #1 again but it wont be here. Her draw is too tough and players have enough confidence playing against her now. Recapturing dominance wont happen overnight for her IMO.

Tennis4you · « **Reply #39 on:** January 21, 2005, 09:24:57 AM »

Well, it has been a while, so overnight is long gone. But she has the tools, she just needs to play more tennis. I think she has a legitimate shot against any player on tour.

News:

Author Topic: AO 2005 - Women's Draw (Read 10517 times)

Tennis4you