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OSAKA AND KVITOVA TO PLAY FOR NO. 1 RANKING AND AUSSIE OPEN TITLE
Their first career meeting will have a lot on the line as both are seeking the top ranking for the first time. Go Naomi! I wonder if she'll turn into a diva in the vein of her namesake Naomi Campbell? Re: OSAKA AND KVITOVA TO PLAY FOR NO. 1 RANKING AND AUSSIE OPEN TITLERooting for Naomi, but like them both. Here is to a great match and may the best player win! Re: OSAKA AND KVITOVA TO PLAY FOR NO. 1 RANKING AND AUSSIE OPEN TITLECongratulations to Naomi on winning the AO, backing up her USO victory. Tough 3-setter that should've ended in 2 sets, but she couldn't finish on serve and Petra recovered to send the match into the 3rd, but with Naomi getting rattled, making a ton of errors after being broken to send the match into the 3rd. Yet, Naomi recovered in the 3rd after the toilet break, getting the break after each held serve and held on to seal the deal, but it wasn't that easy. Torn between who I wanted to win, for both are faves. But, went with Naomi for PGames purposes, coming off her resolve with Pliskova in the semi, where she lit her up with 56 winners, offset by 30 donations. At age 21 she resembled the Sisters, who were routinely nailing +50/60 winners, but offset those winners by the same number of donations while winning matches and titles. Naomi's resolve and determination is what struck me in that match (she meant business, like her idol Serena ) but her proficiency is what impressed me the most, giving rise to my choice for the final, tho' satisfied with either winning the title. Yet, it's a great achievement for this young talent. Good to see Petra K. reaching the final in Melbourne after having poor results at any of the Slams, especially after recovering from the brutal assault, where some of her fingers were near severed. She still doesn't have full use of her hand and at her presser alluded to such. Many wanted her to win because of what happened to her, but that is not how life unfolds for many, let alone athletes who experience misfortune of some sort. There is no mandated recompense for suffering misfortune, but recover, if one can, move along and do one's best. She's now #2 in the world and can achieve the #1 position that she covets, for it's still early in the season. I still don't like her physicality (too scrawny for me), but she won Sydney and reached the final here, so I have nothing else to say on that. Based on her post-match presser, Naomi is practically ho-hum about being #1. Winning the title was her #1 objective and her utmost concern. About being #1, she said that maybe after a day she'll give it consideration. Imo, this AO is the best played Slam for the ladies in some time. The top-8 seeds finally got by the 3rd rd. Haven't done that since the 2009 Wimby, but some then flopped in the 4th (Sloane, Elina and Angie). Nevertheless, caught some good matches (Sloane and Petra M. was a great match) and the quality of play was generally good. Nice event, nice final and congrats again to Naomi and to Petra for making the loss of sleep worthwhile.... However, I'm not getting up for Nole and Rafa. Yet, for PGame purposes I got Novak to win, but want Rafa to get the title.
Re: OSAKA AND KVITOVA TO PLAY FOR NO. 1 RANKING AND AUSSIE OPEN TITLEI'm in shock really that Naomi has made it to a GS final let alone win back to back GS titles. Didn't think she had the mental toughness to do so. I guess channeling Serena can help. Plus, she seems she knows and is comfortable with who she is and her background. Madison, on the other hand, seems to be fumbling around. Naomi's swift rise to a two-time GS titlist should motivate some of the other girls. most notably from Asia. A couple of Chinese girls, perhaps even more, are excellent ball strikers. In any event, Serena's loss is the real story of the event. She had the match and title on her racket. Venus actually played on a high level against Halep and was unlucky on break points. She could have won that match too. Happy though that the WS were the ones to gang up on Halep to wrestle to No.1 ranking from the Romanian. I sure hope this does not upset a certain poster. If so, apologies in advance. As for Maria, it's patently clear she lacks the potency and resilience she possessed before her drug bust. I vividly recall Venus commenting on Maria's game by saying it's her 'intensity, let's say' that makes her hard to play. No more it would appear.
Re: OSAKA AND KVITOVA TO PLAY FOR NO. 1 RANKING AND AUSSIE OPEN TITLEInteresting posts, thanks. I cannot find online - stats that include the first serve % of the match - does anyone know this or a link to such, TIA. Petr'a first serve seemed very weak -invariably having to do second serve. Re: OSAKA AND KVITOVA TO PLAY FOR NO. 1 RANKING AND AUSSIE OPEN TITLEMatch stats for the final: Osaka v Kvitova 9 Aces 5 4 Double faults 4 62%, 68/110 1st serve in 64%, 75/118 76%, 52/68 Win 1st serve 71%, 53/75 45%, 19/42 Win 2nd serve 47%, 20/43 21%, 3/14 Break points won 30%, 3/10 0%, 0/3 Net points won 83%, 10/12 35%, 41/118 Receiving points won 32%, 35/110 33 Winners 33 1 Return winners 5 33 Unforced errors 39 6 Return unforced errors 6 116 Total points won 112 192kmh/119 mph Fastest serve 176kmh/109 mph 172kmh/107 mph 1st Serve average 162kmh/101 mph 138kmh/86 mph 2nd serve average 147kmh/91 mph
Re: OSAKA AND KVITOVA TO PLAY FOR NO. 1 RANKING AND AUSSIE OPEN TITLEThanks for posting rex- great to see the stats |