[TennisFan66]

Originally Posted by Chrissie-fan

Well, it's not a crime to lots of fun away from tennis.

Oh, but it is. Have you not read the 11th commandment?

Thou shalt not enjoy thy life away from hard training and on court.

But seriously, no-one is saying she shouldn't have a life away from tennis. It's the observable lack of balance between the two. Happy Vs miserable looking.

And why would anyone continue doing something, which makes them miserable?

[Jimmie48]

I agree, the whole notion that she has to go away from tennis to have fun is kind of what worries me. The other players actually seem to have fun being tennis players* and she used to be like that as well.

* excluding Sharapova who's obviously unable to have fun like us non-robots.

[terjw]

Originally Posted by goldenlox

Yeah, good points. We dont know if her form is just her. Maybe she just cant focus and play as steady as she used to.
We cant read her mind, and she should have fun off court. Thats the whole idea of having success, to enjoy it.
More time goes by, now its 14 months since she was holding 9 titles... Maybe she cant play at that level anymore, no matter what style. She might be as committed as ever, just not as mentally strong as when she was younger

Yeah we don't really know. But I definitely get the impression that the golf softens the blow to her when she loses and so she's not as hungry for success as she used to be.

Anyway the fact is we can whine all we like here about her and her watching Rory. I mean we are actually free to choose to support someone else if we don't like her and what she's doing. But the fact is that Caro isn't going to stop watching Rory play golf. That's not going to stop happening. So I think whining about that really doesn't serve any purpose. I mean Rory can be #1 at golf and watch Caro. So what's he doing right that Caro can't seem to do the other way round.

[bruce goose]

Originally Posted by terjw

Yeah we don't really know. But I definitely get the impression that the golf softens the blow to her when she loses and so she's not as hungry for success as she used to be.

Anyway the fact is we can whine all we like here about her and her watching Rory. I mean we are actually free to choose to support someone else if we don't like her and what she's doing. But the fact is that Caro isn't going to stop watching Rory play golf. That's not going to stop happening. So I think whining about that really doesn't serve any purpose. I mean Rory can be #1 at golf and watch Caro. So what's he doing right that Caro can't seem to do the other way round.

Said this a few months back and,in agreement with the thrust of your post,will say it again: The distracting bf is very rarely the CAUSE of the problem but rather just a SYMPTOM.Not that anyone here really wishes for it(I don't think),but,if Rory mysteriously dropped dead,Caroline would mourn for a while(we can only guess how long)....and then she'd find someone NEW in her life.If her love for tennis was where it is now,then the new guy would ALSO be a distraction,to some degree,as Caro looked to spend time with him......If the desire for tennis burned hard within her,then she'd find an effective balance as others have done

[goldenlox]

Moscow draw is out, Caro is 3 seed

[1]S.STOSUR v BYE
[Q] v A.CORNET
K.ZAKOPALOVA v A.CADANTU
[WC]M.GASPARYAN v [8]L.SAFAROVA

[4]A.IVANOVIC v BYE
[Q] v [Q]
G.VOSKOBOEVA v [Q]
S.HALEP v [6]N.PETROVA

[5]D.CIBULKOVA v E.MAKAROVA
V.LEPCHENKO v T.PIRONKOVA
U.RADWANSKA v F.SCHIAVONE
BYE v [3]C.WOZNIACKI

[7]M.KIRILENKO v E.VESNINA
Y.SHVEDOVA v A.PAVLYUCHENKOVA
B.JOVANOVSKI v S.ARVIDSSON
BYE v [2]M.BARTOLI

[goldenlox]

Originally Posted by terjw

Yeah we don't really know. But I definitely get the impression that the golf softens the blow to her when she loses and so she's not as hungry for success as she used to be.

Anyway the fact is we can whine all we like here about her and her watching Rory. I mean we are actually free to choose to support someone else if we don't like her and what she's doing. But the fact is that Caro isn't going to stop watching Rory play golf. That's not going to stop happening. So I think whining about that really doesn't serve any purpose. I mean Rory can be #1 at golf and watch Caro. So what's he doing right that Caro can't seem to do the other way round.

I'm thinking its been so long, that what's she is doing is her form. This is how good she can play.

Caro was in 15 semis in 19 tournaments over 11 months. 12 finals, and was holding 9 titles.
Going back to the Hantuchova loss. That probably is the place to start. Since then she played 31 events, only 1 premier final, New Haven 2011.
The other spot to go back to, that I use, is 2011 USO (because I thought her New haven-USO run was excellent, so I want to include that with the run that had holding 9 titles.
Since then, over a year, 24 tournaments where the only semis she won were Intls.

This is a long sustained run, starting either after Brussels or after 2011 USO, where her form is consistent and #11 is about right for this form.

Its too long a period to use burnout, Rory, racket strings, trying to be aggressive.. This is her form.

[C. W. Fields]

No easy matches here. A likely road to the title would be: Ula, Cibulkova (defending champion), Bartoli and Stosur.
http://www.kremlincup.ru/db/grids/19/

[Blu€]

Good, I'd like to see her play Bartoli, to see where her level is at the moment.
Is there good streaming in Moscow? I can't remember the last time I followed this tournament!

[terjw]

Originally Posted by C. W. Fields

No easy matches here. A likely road to the title would be: Ula, Cibulkova (defending champion), Bartoli and Stosur.
http://www.kremlincup.ru/db/grids/19/

Yeah. Or maybe Fran - a grand slam winner not that long ago instead of Ula. I really want to see Caro do well here. It would be good if she could play well and give us a title to cheer about against players who it will be very tough for her to beat at her current level.

[Jimmie48]

Originally Posted by Blu€

Good, I'd like to see her play Bartoli, to see where her level is at the moment.
Is there good streaming in Moscow? I can't remember the last time I followed this tournament!

Eurosport shows Moscow instead of Luxembourg this year.

Good draw, I'm actually happy that it isn't another cakewalk draw. She needs to proof herself against big(ish) opponents.

[goldenlox]

Yeah, I think it would be a big positive to collect points here & Bulgaria. She'll have them all year in 2013.
The real test for her will be the AO, where the whole YEC field is there, and she's defending QF points.
But for now, these 2 are offering good amount of points without the YEC field in the draw. Very good opportunity.

[bruce goose]

Originally Posted by Blu€

Good, I'd like to see her play Bartoli, to see where her level is at the moment.

Agreed. Caroline has already won a title in Seoul to avoid ending the year with a goose egg,so it's better if she/we can see how she does with a stern test in a Premier

[Mitten Kitten]

Originally Posted by Jimmie48

I agree, the whole notion that she has to go away from tennis to have fun is kind of what worries me. The other players actually seem to have fun being tennis players* and she used to be like that as well.

* excluding Sharapova who's obviously unable to have fun like us non-robots.

I had to come back from my exile for that

[Nicolás89]

Is there any chance for Caro to end 2012 inside the top 10?

[Jorn]

Yes if she wins Moscow and Sofia... or Bartoli lose early and don't play in YEC as ALT.