WTA 250 Bad Homburg 6/25 - 7/1 2023

[ashkor87]

As to why Pegula is ranked higher, surely it is because the ranking system rewards, not excellence, but consistency - the tour wants players who will show up and play well, week after week- that is Pegula .if they were to actually meet any time soon, I would certainly expect Alexandrova to win.

[Suliso]

As to why Pegula is ranked higher, surely it is because the ranking system rewards, not excellence, but consistency - the tour wants players who will show up and play well, week after week- that is Pegula .if they were to actually meet any time soon, I would certainly expect Alexandrova to win.

The only time they met Pegula won easily. I guess you just like Alexandrova much better hence this prediction.

[meganfernandez]

As to why Pegula is ranked higher, surely it is because the ranking system rewards, not excellence, but consistency - the tour wants players who will show up and play well, week after week- that is Pegula .if they were to actually meet any time soon, I would certainly expect Alexandrova to win.

Yes, playing well week after week is the tour's definition of excellence. I think that should be the case.

[meganfernandez]

btw do you know how many titles the heroine of Breakpoint - Tomljanovic has? exactly 0. so 4 is not bad..

Interesting point. They got so lucky that she drew Serena and had that epic match. I have a feeling Netflix followed more players than we see in the show, and some didn't make the cut - at least this season.

[ashkor87]

As to why Pegula is ranked higher, surely it is because the ranking system rewards, not excellence, but consistency - the tour wants players who will show up and play well, week after week- that is Pegula .if they were to actually meet any time soon, I would certainly expect Alexandrova to win.

Yes, playing well week after week is the tour's definition of excellence. I think that should be the case.

it isnt mine!

[ashkor87]

As to why Pegula is ranked higher, surely it is because the ranking system rewards, not excellence, but consistency - the tour wants players who will show up and play well, week after week- that is Pegula .if they were to actually meet any time soon, I would certainly expect Alexandrova to win.

The only time they met Pegula won easily. I guess you just like Alexandrova much better hence this prediction.

'any time soon' means on grass.

[Suliso]

On grass I agree, but as I see it soon could also be on North American hard in mid August and there I'd favor Pegula.

[ti-amie]

Day 6 Order of Play

Centre Court
Starts at 12:00 PM

ITA L. BRONZETTI vs FRA V. GRACHEVA (8)
FOLLOWED BY
ESP R. MASAROVA vs USA E. NAVARRO
NOT BEFORE 4:30 PM
POL I. SWIATEK (1) vs RUS A. BLINKOVA (9)
NOT BEFORE 6:00 PM
CZE K. SINIAKOVA vs RUS L. SAMSONOVA (2)

Court 1
Starts at 12:00 PM

UKR N. KICHENOK/POL A. ROSOLSKA (4) vs BLR L. MAROZAVA/BRA I. GAMARRA MARTINS
PMNOT BEFORE 2:30
CZE M. KOLODZIEJOVA/CZE L. NOSKOVA vs SVK T. MIHALIKOVA/JPN M. NINOMIYA (3)

[ti-amie]

Day 7 Order of Play

Centre Court
Starts at 01:00 PM

SUSPENDED
Quarterfinal
CZE K. SINIAKOVA vs RUS L. SAMSONOVA (2)
7 4 0
5 6 0
NOT BEFORE 2:30 PM
Semifinal
POL I. SWIATEK (1) vs ITA L. BRONZETTI
FOLLOWED BY
Semifinal
SVK T. MIHALIKOVA/JPN M. NINOMIYA (3) vs JPN E. HOZUMI/ROU M. NICULESCU
NOT BEFORE 6:30 PM
Semifinal
USA E. NAVARRO vs TBD

Court 1
Starts at 12:00 PM

Semifinal
EST I. NEEL/TPE F. WU vs BLR L. MAROZAVA/BRA I. GAMARRA MARTINS

[ponchi101]

Swiatek withdraws due to "illness".
Message to tournaments the week prior to a slam: DO NOT HOLD A TOURNAMENT. Hold an exo, play two out of three sets, with the last set being a TB, finish on Friday, move your venue within the same area code of the slam.
Because there is no way a top player will play the full week. They will w/o at the semis, if they make it there.

[meganfernandez]

Swiatek withdraws due to "illness".
Message to tournaments the week prior to a slam: DO NOT HOLD A TOURNAMENT. Hold an exo, play two out of three sets, with the last set being a TB, finish on Friday, move your venue within the same area code of the slam.
Because there is no way a top player will play the full week. They will w/o at the semis, if they make it there.

Medvedev 2019. Maybe he wasn't considered a top player then?

I'm not as cynical as you are, but this would make sense since it's a 250. I wondered why she played a 250. The tournament sold some tickets, she and the fans got a couple matches, but ultimately it didn't benefit her to be there.

I'm not 100% convinced it's fake, though. If it is, I wish they could be honest. "That's enough, I need to rest to have my best chance at Wimbledon."

[ponchi101]

I wish I could give the benefit of the doubt, but I think this was exactly the plan. She got three matches in, ended the week on Thursday, did not play today so she would not have to w/o the final which, for the tournament, would be even worse.
And I don't believe for one moment she is ill. She pummeled Blinkova yesterday in 72 minutes. I know, it is Blinkova, but how much longer could a match against Bronzetti take?

[ashkor87]

Yes, players are cynically gaming the system...not fair to the tournaments, not fair to their (lesser) opponents, not fair to fans who have paid money to see them.

[jazzyg]

I cannot stand it when players withdraw from tournaments to get ready for slams, but Swiatek absolutely benefited from her three matches. After a rocky first set against Maria, she played lights out tennis for the next six.

Will it translate to Wimbledon? Hard to say, and she has a potentially tough 1st tound against Zhu. But after struggling mightily on grass in the past, she should be a lot more confident now.

For what it is worth, Ruud played the week before Roland Garros the past two years, so it can be beneficial.

[JTContinental]

Iga mentioned her illness was GI related and maybe food poisoning, so it is possible she just ate a Bad Homburg-er.