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US Open R2: (13) Konta def. Pironkova 6-2 5-7 6-2

8K views 72 replies 39 participants last post by  Dawson. 
#1 ·
Super dramatic scenes at the end of second set. JoKo seemed down and out like Peng was in 2014. The heat and stress got to her and she was breathless and cramping. I was very worried for her :sad:

How on Earth did JoKo come back from that to win? Super mental strength there. Must have been hard for Pirru too, having to wait 20 minutes before the 3rd set could start :hug:
 
#2 ·
Pironkova looked pissed-off at the end, and the British Eurosport commentators had some sympathy for her. Konta's problems were obviously very real, but there has to come a point where a player is penalised for stopping the game, even for a medical emergency.
 
#3 ·
20 Minutes break, DF and another what, 10 minutes toilet break? Ridiculous stuff out there. If I was Pironkova, I would call Maria how she approached to sue the ITF, because I would do so after what happened.

If it's too hot and your body is down, you have to retire, simple as that. There is no sport, where you can just pause for 20 minutes and keep on playing. Should have been game penalty or sth. like that for every 3 minutes Konta took time.
 
#5 ·
Pironkova got robbed

If only Konta was playing a US player we'd hear a lot more about it

Had Pironkova done that she'd have been vilified
 
#7 ·
Konta was winning quite easily before the heat started to effect her at 4-2 in the second set. It's majorly impressive how Konta managed to come back and win that match after collapsing in the heat. The mental and physical strength required just to stand back up and walk onto the court is high enough; to actually win is something else.

Pironkova was completely shaken after that lengthy timeout. Which is perhaps understandable given the circumstances, but there's really no excuse for failing to get back in the game against an opponent clearly struggling. It's one thing to get broken straight away after such a long break, but when she practically gave up 4-2* in the third it was really poor form.
 
#16 ·
It was a little academic because when Konta did come back to do that 2nd serve she hit it out and lost the set.

The commentators were saying the rules were changed a couple of years ago. There is no time limit for the initial medical assessment. You aren't allowed to be treated for cramping but that wasn't what this was. It looked like she was having a sort of panic attack relating to the heat and the stress of the scoreline. Konta looked very red in the face and was having trouble breathing. She said her vision went blurry, her heart was racing and basically her body went into shock. That's extremely dangerous.

Jo Durie was quite critical of the amount of time it took for the doctor to arrive. The organisers should do something about that.

The clock on the treatment doesn't start until the doctor/trainer have finished the medical assessment.

I do feel sympathy for Pironkova because physically she was fine, she had all the momentum and potentially would have started well in the third. But no rules were broken here. You have to give massive credit to Jo Konta for going through that drama and trauma and managing to come back to play a very smart third set. Took a bit off her shots and employed the dropshot extremely effectively.
 
#10 ·
Pirru was robbed from her momentum at the end of the second set, but she should have tried better in that third set. Konta was the better player for most of the first two sets for sure.
Tbh I think she should have been awarded the game for 7-5 automatically when Konta got that MTO. Yes, eventually she needed just one fault to get it by DF, but the non-injured player shouldn't get the passive punishment she got by just waiting.

I'm always feeling pity for those players who are facing injured/fainting players. What is going through their head? Remember when Zvonareva run to help Pierce when she had that horrible injury? No surprise she lost a few times to players that needed a stretcher to leave the court. :lol:
 
#11 ·
That was disappointing. Pironkova should have played better in that third set, but why was Konta allowed so much time? It completely messed up Pirru's rhythm. If I was Pironkova, I would be really mad :(
 
#13 ·
Assessment plus treatment can be 10-15mins. Sometimes you get less, I think it varies depending on exactly what's happening.

Issue was it took nearly 10mins for doctor to arrive so that made it longer. Ridiculous it took so long, Watson waited 5mins on doctor yesterday as well.

Tsveti had no momentum to lose in truth (she was only a game behind once at 2-3, wasn't like there was a big comeback) but she handled it poorly (sat down the whole time practising only 3 serves right at the end) and basically gave up. So many embarrassing errors
 
#17 ·
I think the really alarming thing is that the doctors almost always take at least 5 minutes to arrive. The WTA should really do something about it, maybe add some more doctors on-site, otherwise they are setting themselves up for disaster. :scared:

Pironkova is so dumb though, I don't think she won a single point off Konta's dropshots in the third set and none of them were particularly well-executed.
 
#18 ·
The 3rd set was hilarious, Konta was murdering Pirru with dropshots and it should be the opposite situation after Konta was lying on the court for few minutes in the 2nd set.

Pirru should only blame herself after the match.
 
#22 ·
It was not deliberate... Jo was really feeling the heat... I don't think Jo would do it just to cheat... unlike Broady yesterday, drinking in between points and slowing the game down (over the time limit) and complaining on critical moment just to annoy Laura.
Neither of us does and that is not the point. :shrug:
 
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#23 ·
I tuned in the middle of the third set and Pironkova was playing really well. But then she started making very basic errors... I am glad Jo is ok..

I don't understand why they don't have doctors or some sort of paramedic/nurse in the crowds watching the matches.. They at the very least should have medics on site...
 
#29 ·
This is really true, but considering how many times we are actually seeing it, I guess it's not that easy. It's not as on the TV - you are standing there in front of that human being who struggles. You are wondering if they are okay. The other player, however, knows that she is not 100% fit anymore so she has nothing to lose. And wins it. :shrug:
 
#27 ·
Horrible scenes. Jo literally doubled over, buckled to her hands and knees whilst crying and panting for breath in between first and second serves. then having to sit in the heat for 10 minutes before a doctor even arrived on court. Not her fault the organisers are incompetent :shrug: And whether you like it or not, the comfort break after the second set was 100% within the rules and probably would have happened regardless of her being taken ill anyway.

I don't feel bad for Pironkova at all. She barely had momentum anyway but if it was disrupted due to the break, I imagine it was ten times worse for Jo. Yet Pironkova came out in the third playing absolutely stupid tennis. Maybe the heat got to her as well because she clearly didn't have a brain out there. Silly, unnecessary errors and not having a clue what to do with sub-par drop shots. The match was hers and she absolutely blew it.
 
#32 ·
10 minutes for the doctor to reach the court is just unacceptable, especially at a Grand Slam. Potentially dangerous for Konta and the reason why the break was so long.

Not sure what was wrong with Konta though - it looked incredibly serious, she said her body was shutting down or something, and then 20 minutes later she's running around winning pretty long rallies.

Pironkova played one of the most brain-dead sets against an ailing opponent I've ever seen in the third though.
 
#36 ·
Panic attacks are no jokes but should be "punished". You either handle your nerves properly or you don't. Spectators have to roast in the sun forever because these special snowflakes can't handle the stress of playing a professional tennis match.

They aren't performing high-risk surgeries FFS.
 
#40 ·
Piru is as stupid as always. Dont know jot to grab the chance against a lesser opponent.

I think JoKo should have retired, or being forced to. In what professional sports can allow a player to rest and recover from a panic attack or whatsoever and to continue to play?It is extremely dangerous for the player too. Those who experienced heat stroke or panic attack knows what will happen, should be immediately rested from what you are doing, sit down or even go to the hospital. I think the game should not allow the player to play in such a dangerous situation, and also not fair. Physical condition is also part of the game to be contested on court. If you are not good, then you should have lost. Brain injury also counts though.
 
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#41 ·
The handling of Konta in this match just strengthened Bouchard's lawsuit, USTA better get back to settlement talks on that front.
After today, it's apparent that retirement from a USO match is completely optional unless the player keels over and drops dead on the court ... then and only then, will the USTA/ITF determine if the surviving opponent should be entitled to the win. :spit:
 
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