The others are Azarenka, Sharapova, Williams, Radwanska, Kerber, Errani and most likely Li. A tough field IMO. How do you see things playing out with Kvitova?
Petra's 2012 season has been one biggest mystery book.Given the current situation I would be very satisfied if she made the semis.
There WAS a legit improvement from Petra on N.A. hardcourts,but that improvement was undercut by horrendous schedule planning by Petra and her teamPetra's level is nowhere near 2011. The extra weight and illnesses have not helped either.
Petra visited a mini fashion show of her sponsor Steilmann in Prague … She will train more often with male hitting partners … „they return more balls“ ..., about training : service, return and net play ... she will be staying at Intercontinental during Fed cup … "Martic served very well and was very aggressive" … About Suarez Navaro match : "I had diarrhea in the morning and after the match I vomited."Can somebody translate what is Petra talking about in the video she posted on facebook, please!
Duh!?Petra visited a mini fashion show of her sponsor Steilmann in Prague … She will train more often with men hitting partners … „they return more balls“ ..., about training : service, return and net play ... she will be staying at Intercontinental during Fed cup … "Martic served very well and was very aggressive" … About Suarez Navaro match : "I had diarrhea in the morning and after the match I vomited."
http://isport.blesk.cz/clanek/tenis...i-kvitova-a-vyhlizi-konec-roku-jako-loni.html
http://www.tenisportal.cz/zpravy/volno-pred-turnajem-mistryn-mi-prospeje-veri-kvitova-10985/
http://www.rozhlas.cz/zpravy/tenis/...u-kvitovou-cekaji-dva-vrcholy-sezony--1121103
Yeah but I'd think that pro hitting partners have the ability to hit whatever shots the coach wants the player to work on.Playing with guys is completely different than when you hit with girls – more topspin, deeper more powerful shots and ESPECIALLY more of the topspin-looper type shots that force you to hit w/open stance.
http://www.tennis.com/gear/2012/10/g...art-two/39656/
JD: It’s important to have a good hitting partner, too. I’ve read that you worked with Maria Sharapova in this capacity. What does it take to be an exemplary sparring partner?
CM: Hitting partners are there to set up the ball for whatever the coach wants the player to do. It sounds simple, but actually doing it consistently is very tough. Because you’re trying to groove them and get their confidence up, and that’s tricky. For me, it was about trying to bridge the relationship between the coach and the player—seeing what he’s trying to do for her, the player, and then manipulating the ball in order for her to believe in what the coach is trying to tell her.
JD: What do you mean?
CM: Like, if we’re working on low balls, I’m manipulating the ball to be low, so that she can keep on hitting it and trusting it. It takes repetition to get that feel. But if I can’t hit that shot low and with slice in exactly the way the coach wants it to be hit, then the player might not start believing. And the coach can see: If the coach tries to hit with the player, he can’t evaluate him or her from different angles. To do his job, he needs the help of a good hitter.
JD: And if you’re not consistently perfect, then she may not get into that groove?
CM: Right, exactly. Hitting partners are ones who always give a great ball that’s consistent and true to what the rest of the field is hitting. I felt like I was always good, because I’m pretty fast, and I can get a lot of balls back. I’m like a human ball machine who can go from different places, different angles, and just hit you another ball. [Laughing]
JD: It seems on tour that it’s more the women who utilize hitting partners, not the men. Why is that?
CM: It’s a tough question. The subject of a hitting partner is weird, it’s interesting. I know guys use hitting partners to practice. Growing up, I practiced at Bollettieri’s, so I was a hitting partner for Boris Becker and Petr Korda—all the pros went over there to play. I traveled to Munich three times with Boris Becker to hit with him. I think that really helped me a lot in my game.
But yeah, I get this vibe: I don’t know if everyone feels like there’s a need for hitting partners. People say, like, “girls should be practicing with each other,” things like that. But for the women, I think they always travel with hitting partners just to make sure to always have somebody who’s better than them. But it’s a good question. I’m really not sure why it’s like that.
Part of me thinks Petra has had a really crappy year with her body and health, and she'll come roaring back 2013.
Thank god.I am pleased to read in the Czech press that Petra's also working on her netplay and plans to play aggressively in Istanbul, because she knows that against in-form baseline bashers and grinders like Sharpie and Vuvu she would have tough time without using variety and offensive aggression.
EDIT: Allegedly, she also wants to build on her solid perfomances during the US series rather than on the Asian swing fiasco, which is totally understandable :lol:
Oy.... if onlyI will laugh my ass off if Petra shelves all this "add more topspin and play conservative" crap, comes to Istanbul, hits for the lines and attacks the net... and blows them all away.
If she does it would be massive fail, seriously another tournament just before YECKerber withdrew from Luxemburg.. May be Petra should ask a WC ??
I'm glad you noticed.I think it was just her gut feeling and frustration because of low level performance after slam win, this time it all can be different. We have to wait and see how stuff unfolds but i have confidence in Petra and hope she can make out of RR rounds and gets to semis.
Petra practiced with Adam who was just low level men's mug and she wins Wimbledon than she stops practicing with men and her level goes downhill(omit YEC form), so maybe this way is better:lol:
Petra said that Adam was hitting way too hard for her and they ditch him, i guess that's why they didn't hire anybody else but Kotyza should've know better that proper hitting partner cant tweak his shots but juniors can't and coach better coaching when watching player not when hitting with one because you can't properly evaluate stuff. Maybe now they find some kids that would hit with power that Petra needsI'm glad you noticed.
I didn't want to keep beating a dead horse alone. :lol:
Sometimes you gotta wonder, what's Petra's team is thinking.
If something worked last year, why not replicate it this year? Even if you have to hire people per diem, part or full time. Why not? She made $5 million dollars in prize money alone last year. Like I said previously, "they don't act like a team with a player of Petra's caliber". I find it incredulous, that they weren't using a male hitting partner most of the year. SMH
You know how they always say "the 900 ranked male can beat the top ranked woman (I think Adam was 500-800 )"?
OK. How low are these young schmucks (and where you start to get diminishing returns)? But like you said. Back to the Juniors. :lol:
I think he was there just as her boyfriend but maybe she hit with him few times, who knows:shrug:Oh, and PS Shifty: Adam was with Petra at Linz as well (you may or may not had been saying that in your previous post). He was even listed in her box as "coach" by Eurosport. :lol:
You could tell Jo Durie knew who he was and didn't want to touch it (cause she smiled and almost laughed when they showed him on Camera--listing him as Petra's "coach").
Hi guys, tried on some dresses today for #wtachamps! It's getting closer now. Going to Istanbul on Friday