Alright, I watched most of a the match. My thoughts (because I know you're all on the edge of your seat
):
I think when both players were at their best it was quite an even affair, and a very enjoyable match to watch. The problem was that Vesnina could maintain that high level for most of the match, only had a couple of dips in the second set, and Heather went walkabout for long periods. A few of these concentration lapses could be explained with bad calls (like in the 4th game of the first set) but others were a complete mystery. Going into the 3rd she had the momentum, had the confidence and Vesnina seemed to be going through her worst patch of the match, yet she completely broke down. Rallying shots sailing way over the baseline, serve suddenly lost its bite. Really strange.
But I've seen enough from her in these past two weeks to have faith that things will get better from here. She is still coming back from illness, we have to remind ourselves. I look forward to seeing her at Wimbledon, but in all honesty I think the US hardcourt swing could be the time where she fully gets back to where she was at the end of last year.