WTA YEC Fort Worth 10/31 - 11/7 2022

[ti-amie]

Day 4 Order of Play

WTA Finals Stadium Court

STARTS AT 3:00 PM
CAN G. DABROWSKI/MEX G. OLMOS (2) vs UKR L. KICHENOK/LAT J. OSTAPENKO (5)
NOT BEFORE 5:00 PM
POL I. SWIATEK (1) vs FRA C. GARCIA (6)
NOT BEFORE 7:00 PM
USA C. GAUFF (4) vs RUS D. KASATKINA (8)
FOLLOWED BY
RUS V. KUDERMETOVA/BEL E. MERTENS (4) vs KAZ A. DANILINA/BRA B. HADDAD MAIA (7)

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[ti-amie]

This is how it started...



Then came this...

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[ponchi101]

...

Why specifically Garcia?

There's been a bit of churn in her team and it happened right after what some would consider the best run of her career. It's not clear who her coach is now - it may be her father again - but we talked about it in the Coaching Merry-go-Round thread.

Prove that it is HER, not the coach? Alright, I can go with that.

[ti-amie]

[Deuce]

Sabalenka is doing her Jekyll & Hyde again...
She beat herself in the 1st set (2-6). and was down 0-3 in the 2nd.
Then she won 4 straight games, as Sakkari is also doing a Jekyll & Hyde thing...
4-4, 2nd set...

[Deuce]

... and Sakkari and Sabalenka combine to beat Sabalenka 6-2, 6-4...

Sakkari is now through to the semi-finals.

[ashkor87]

Garcia has a lot to prove here.

Why specifically Garcia?

There's been a bit of churn in her team and it happened right after what some would consider the best run of her career. It's not clear who her coach is now - it may be her father again - but we talked about it in the Coaching Merry-go-Round thread.

Ah, ok, was just wondering what the rationale was ..
In ' the most to prove' I would say Sakkari and Sabalenka...Sakkari to prove she belongs at this level, Sabalenka to prove she can win a big one ..we shall see but Sakkari is certainly doing well.

[JazzNU]

Sakkari and Sabalenka have made it to back to back WTA Finals. I don't think either of them have to prove that they belong at this level. It takes quite a level of consistent play to do that.

WTA Finals is great and the competition is elite, but in terms of the "big one" I don't think anyone who hangs it over any player's head is going to count this as if it's a Grand Slam. Unless there's been some shift in like the last year, I don't recall many acting like Aga, Domi, or Elina won a Slam. it's exceptional in terms of prize money and it gives you a lot more leeway in tournament entry in the future, but the public doesn't seem to view it as if it's on the same level as a Grand Slam. I saw more than a few here and elsewhere saying Elina didn't have what it takes to win a Slam just months after she won the WTA Finals and that kept up consistently in the following years.

[ponchi101]

It is placed below the Slams, and a bit over the 1000's. Other than that, I say it is regarded properly. I don't think anybody would trade a WTA Finals for any of the slams.

[meganfernandez]

Why specifically Garcia?

There's been a bit of churn in her team and it happened right after what some would consider the best run of her career. It's not clear who her coach is now - it may be her father again - but we talked about it in the Coaching Merry-go-Round thread.

Ah, ok, was just wondering what the rationale was ..
In ' the most to prove' I would say Sakkari and Sabalenka...Sakkari to prove she belongs at this level, Sabalenka to prove she can win a big one ..we shall see but Sakkari is certainly doing well.

I think Sabalenka more than Sakkari, but just in general, not at this event. It's incredible Sabalenka even qualified considering the state of her game in January. I think she is playing with 2022 house money this week.

I'm not sure anyone is playing with any pressure... or more than normal. Maybe Ons since she came so close to a big prize this year and has been vocal about her #1 aspirations. I thought maybe Pegula since she's coming off her biggest title. She's been flat, though. She has played a lot of tennis this year, might be showing.