Pavs started out playing lights out tennis to take the first set 6-0 in 19 minutes and go up 2-0 40-0 on serve in the second. Kerber broke in that game but Pavs steadied herself to break again and lead 6-0 5-2
Pavs then lost the plot allowing Kerber to come back to 5 all. Both players held to take it to a TB where Pavs went up 3-1 with some great winners only to fall apart again and lose the TB 4-7.
A combination of Pavs being dejected after losing her lead and Kerber playing with more confidence saw Kerber race to a 3-0 lead in the final set. Only for Pavs to win 5 games in a row to lead 5-3. Eventually serving out the match at 6-4.
Pavs had all the points needed to double bagel Kerber at 6-0 4-2 (with GP and BP to win both games that Kerber won) but instead wins 6-0 6-7 6-4
Credit to Kerber for fighting hard in the second set to bring it back.
Typically WTA ebb and flow match. Pavlova made it so hard for herself but here's a missed opportunity for Kerber to roll away with momentum. Hopefully this week is not a one off for Kerber. Pavlova steadied herself and was very aggressive and backed herself in the final set from 3-0 down, really opening the court and pounding at Angie till she got an opening. Good luck in final!
I really like Pavs, so I'm sort of fine with that loss. But she should finally become a top 10 player and not just beating my faves. :lol:
Tuned in for the 3rd set and thought it was quite erratic, but once switched, it became a pleasure to watch it with all the offence-to-defence on both sides. Stunned once again from Angie's composure to serve for 40-0 when down 3-5 in the 3rd set.
I´m amazed how tactically inept a two time major champion can be. How about a few bh slices to keep the balls low to the ground for your out of shape opponent with shitty technique, instead of serving her up one midcourt sitter after another to bash away. Four three setters in a row. Can forget Pavs until Moscow. She´ll need three weeks to recover from this tournament.
I´m amazed how tactically inept a two time major champion can be. How about a few bh slices to keep the balls low to the ground for your out of shape opponent with shitty technique, instead of serving her up one midcourt sitter after another to bash away.
Pavlyuchenkova is one of the most frustrating players on tour imo. I have no idea how this went three sets, and she needed 3 sets for every match in this tournament. If she had the ability to sustain that level of play from the first set more consistently, she would have such a better career.
I'm happy with Angelique's week :shrug: Hopefully she can build on this.
This tournament reminds me of her Paris Indoors win, including this 3-setter with Angelique. Except in that tournament I believe she came back from a set down in most of the matches. Consistency is something Pavs lacks, but she's so set in her ways I doubt it changes.
Should have been a 60 63 rout but Pavs decides to take the scenic route. :spit:
Thought she would totally capitulate at 3-0 down in the third but she showed her fighting spirit and picked her game up again and basically hit Angie off the court.
She'll probably be dead tired in the final since she has played 4 consecutive 3 setters already but good effort to get there regardless, saving her rather mediocre year thus far.
Kerber's level in the first set was basically the shit she displayed all season, in the second she played a little better but it was all thanks to Pavs collapsing. In the third she just pushed and that wasn't working. Her level back to 2017 level, that Pliskova match was just an anomaly it seems.
Still have hopes for Angie to get her shit together in Wuhan/Beijing though, signs were promising this week in Tokyo.
The forearm injury and Pav's aggressiveness caused typical Angie grumpiness until she finally won her first game at 0-6 0-2. Then she got her arm treated and while her serve remained shit, her competitiveness kicked in and she made it very competitive, fighting back from 2-5 to win the breaker.
Finally getting a 3-0 lead in the third set with Pavs spraying balls everywhere made Angie take her foot off the gas completely, stropping her way to 3-5 down with her standard "WHATEVER, FML" attitude of 2017. Pavs was lucky to win the last game given how bad she'd been in the lead throughout the match but she did it.
A disappointing loss for Angie but very pleased with how she fought back from SUCH a bad position at 6-0 2-0 to make this match very very tight in the end. Choking a 3-0 final set lead isn't encouraging but overall the week and even this match was. I think this may ignite the fire in her again.
...The forearm injury and Pav's aggressiveness caused typical Angie grumpiness until she finally won her first game at 0-6 0-2. Then she got her arm treated and while her serve remained shit, her competitiveness kicked in and she made it very competitive, fighting back from 2-5 to win the breaker...
when you're down 0-6 0-2 and being completely demolished, time to look for excuses. That's what that MTO was all about. Nothing wrong with Kerber.
This was all about Pavlyuchenkova. Kerber only looked decent when Pav was spraying angrily. When Pav's shots were landing, Kerber had no answer... she kept pushing, hoping for errors.
Match should have been over in 2 straight 6-0 6-2. No contest.
Sad to watch her losing the grip again after a good lead in the 3rd (3-0*) when Nastia was almost down and out mentally...
But same could be said for the Russian at 6-0 5-2*
Pavs choked so many leads in the second set. In the third she found her first serve again and cut down the DFs and she managed to close it out.
Nastia was playing lights out for most of the match: moving well, anticipating well, playing a smart game on the net, being solid from the baseline, maybe just hitting a bit too many dropshots (they were well done technically and tactically but became easier to read as the match went on). She would be a beast if she believed in herself - she got so tight at certain moments that all her DTL shots would end up at the net. The good thing is she didn't call Simon Goffin before the third set and knew how to turn things around by herself.
Angie seemed miserable during certain points of the first set and she was a little too dependant on Torben for advice but she became more solid throughout the match and played some great shots. I was worried she was going to retire after she took that MTO during the 2nd set but she played much, much better after that. She was aggressive when it mattered to force a third set and her ROS was pretty good. Even in this loss she seemed to be on the comeback trail so I can't complain too much.
Her net game is literally the worst. I know Halep comes to the net less statistically but Angie is SO LOST at the net. She has no traditional volley OR drive volley. She runs backwards every time she is brought into the net. I think if she had ANY kind of net game she would be soooooooo much more effective. Even if she came in there and lost the point, it would still work to scare her opponents a bit.
Congrats to Nastia. Was on fire from start to finish in this match and never lost confidence against an amazingly solid Kerber as usual (in the last two sets to the least). Pav was 5-3 in the second but got a bit nervous to close. Angie was 3-0 in the third but then Pav fired up again.
Kerber had a chance to come back again from 4-5 but 1) a down the line forehand in the net at 15-15 was costly, and 2) Pav's crosscourt backhand kissed the line on the second MP.
It was very close and could go either way. The most aggressive game won this time around.
Btw that MTO was completely tactical. When she walked to her chair after winning her first game, she asked toward her corner: Jetzt (Now?), probably unsure whether to still take the tactical MTO after she had just broken back from 40-0 down.
Very bad loss for Angie. Plays a really good match vs. Pliskova the day before to give us some signs of hope..but this mess today..credit for her fight but the 3rd set not able to use her fitness against that Pavlyu. Sad .
Omg so incredibly frustrating and annoying. The loss after being up 3-0 hurts even more than a 06 36 beatdown. She's becoming a tiebreak expert though :lol:
Gutted for Angie but happy for Nastia. Was a win-win situation for me. Both were awesome but Nastia deserved the win a bit more today. If only she plays like this more often, her career would look different by now.
Looked to be a legit double bagel with Kerber in full on "Halep mode" at 6-0, 3-0 down, gave like no fucks. Played and fought better after the medical TO and some coaching visits from Torben.
Really wish she'd switch the technique of that forehand a bit, it is a recipe for disaster in that left elbow she had looked at today. Using too much rollover from the wrist and forearm, not enough from the core and trunk rotational energy. No wonder the elbow hurts
Anyways, Angie fought really well at the end but Pavs deserved the win, big time. Sexber can still come cuddle up with me tonight and talk about her feelings Or whatever else she wants to do
that's why we can't have nice things these days on WTA, no consistency throughout. garbs and kerber looked quite good this tourney, but to no avail ultimately.
karo would've been the better choice here i assume... oh well.