2025 Internazionali BNL d'Italia, Rome, Italy - WTA 1000

[MargaretMcAleer]

Sabalenka making light work of another Drama Queen on the tour, Kostyuk, winning the 1st set 61
Saba wake up you were lucky not to lose the 2nd set, broke Kostyuk when she was serving at 5-4
Lets see if Saba and her brain can serve out the match 6-5?
No broken,
A TB for the 2nd set, which is probably the fairest thing between these 2 players presently
Sabalenka in a tight TB comes pulls through winning the match 61 76(8) with a great drop shot to win the TB>
BTW Marta is a very 'highly strung young woman' she needs to take 'chill pills' she waste too much mental energy screaming and fist pumping on every point she plays, it becomes quite 'tiresome' to watch her play.
Maybe Marta and Sofia Kenin could become best friends, they both are 'way too highly strung' and it goes against them on the 'big points in tennis",
Of course No Handshake from Marta just a thrown racket, what else would you expect from her. Saba extends her H2H 4-0 over Miss Drama Queen
Saba is tough as nails when the Big Points matter in Tennis!

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

The Womens Singles QFs are now set,

Sabalenka (1) vs Zheng (8)
Gauff (4) vs Andreeva (7)
Paolini (6) vs Shnaider, since the departure of Safina, Diana has been playing solid tennis again
Svitolina (16) vs Stearns

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

There will be 2 QF singles matches,
Tuesday 13th May,
Not before 13.00,

Paolini (6) vs Shnaider (13) Jazz leads their H2H 1-0, this is their first meeting on clay

Not before 19.00

Svitolina (16) vs Stearns This is their first meeting

 

[kskate2]

News just in,
Rybakina will play WTA500 Strasbourg tournament ahead of Roland Garros, she reached the final in 2020
Quite frankly Iga Swiatek should join her, though I read earlier there are no plans for Iga to play another tournament before Roland Garros

Elena needs the matches. This is the result of her skipping Stuttgart after losing early in Miami. She's not doing herself any favors as far as rankings go. Even if she wins the tourney, the draw will already be made by Sat and she can't help herself there. I disagree w/ Iga. She's played what 8-9 matches on clay? She doesn't need anymore matches. In fact maybe she needs a week to get her head right. Where is her traveling shrink when she needs her?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Elena needs the matches. This is the result of her skipping Stuttgart after losing early in Miami. She's not doing herself any favors as far as rankings go. Even if she wins the tourney, the draw will already be made by Sat and she can't help herself there. I disagree w/ Iga. She's played what 8-9 matches on clay? She doesn't need anymore matches. In fact maybe she needs a week to get her head right. Where is her traveling shrink when she needs her?

I agree that Elena needs matches, I also think Iga needs matches, her shrink dosent seem to be helping her with her head, its the way she is playing on the clay, it is some new found aggressive play that Fisette is instructing her to do, she is going for lines with little margin, thats not the way she was playing on clay when she was so hard to beat last year on the clay, she dosent appear to know what shot to use and is self doubting herself.If she losses at RG this year, I dont expect her to stay with Fisette, she has already told him to shut up in matches when he has been advising her from the players box.

 

[kskate2]

Iga is a big girl. If his tactics aren't working (and clearly they're not when you view the results), she can change how she is playing the points. The coach is not the one out there executing, she is.

Part of being a successful player is adjusting mid-match to the conditions, your opponent, etc. This is why I don't like the on court coaching. It's turning these players into feeble dimwits who need to be told every little thing. Gone are the days of making a plan off court, executing and being able to think for yourself in the way of adjustments.

 

[kskate2]

Ever since Jaz hired Lopez, she has lost her controlled aggression. She waffles between being too tentative to not enough patience and going for wild shots. She has lost the plot to the great point construction she owned. She hardly comes to net and that's what made her formidable last year.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Iga is a big girl. If his tactics aren't working (and clearly they're not when you view the results), she can change how she is playing the points. The coach is not the one out there executing, she is.

Part of being a successful player is adjusting mid-match to the conditions, your opponent, etc. This is why I don't like the on court coaching. It's turning these players into feeble dimwits who need to be told every little thing. Gone are the days of making a plan off court, executing and being able to think for yourself in the way of adjustments.

One of the main reasons Iga parted with her coach Witkorowski was she needed new ideas, her game is structured around clay, she needed to get out of her comfort zone, which I agree with, though this new partnership with Wim has not gone to plan, of course when you hire a new coach who want to implement his tactics on court.
Winning Breeds Success Period, this is not happening with Iga, I saw the writing on the wall last year, with her play, and I was not surprised she wanted to get some fresh ideas.
Iga needs to play a smaller tournament and win before RG, she can practice all day, playing matches and winning a tournament, is the only way to get back your confidence at present with Iga she dosent have any, her footwork is poor,she used to have the best footwork on clay, and her defense which wins matches on clay is also poor.
This year there are a number of players that can win RG, Iga will probably be the favorite going on her past performances. To me personally she isnt the favorite I go on present performances

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Ever since Jaz hired Lopez, she has lost her controlled aggression. She waffles between being too tentative to not enough patience and going for wild shots. She has lost the plot to the great point construction she owned. She hardly comes to net and that's what made her formidable last year.

I felt for Diana and I was disgusted with the fans behavior against her, I understand this was an Italian playing in Jazz, I have also seen in other matches in Roma where they need to take off their Italian sunglasses and cheer on the good players other than Italian, I say this as an Italian woman

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Stearns is playing great tennis and is leading Svitolina 62 and 4-2 in the 2nd set and is serving
Quite frankly I am surprised and delighted for Stearns
Svitolina much steadier now and has broken back, 4 games all 2nd set
Going 3 sets now as Svitolina comes back from being a break down to win the 2nd set 64

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Apparently Emma Raducanu wants more clay matches and will play Strasbourg next week

 

[kskate2]

they gave her a WC?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

they gave her a WC?

I think so I will have to double check
I am still engaged in the last QF match

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

As usual Emma Raducanu did received a wild card into Strasbourg LOL! I have lost count of the WC she has received soo far in 2025

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Good come back from Stearns in the 3rd set, she was down a break
There will be a TB for the match

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Well done to Stearns making your first WTA1000 SF with a 62 46 76(4) over Svitolina (16)
You held your own in the TB
Congrats!

 

[kskate2]

girl, she was down 2 breaks 3-0 and came back from the dead. She sent the last 2 mama bears packing

 

[kskate2]

her and Jaz did the same thing. Came back from a 2 break deficit.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

girl, she was down 2 breaks 3-0 and came back from the dead. She sent the last 2 mama bears packing

oops my error I was looking up if Raducanu wild card
Sent Keys, Osaka and now Svitolina into the SFs

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

her and Jaz did the same thing. Came back from a 2 break deficit.

Jaz will have to play better in the SFs, regardless of the home advantage and the fans being on her side, I dont like the new tactics that Marc Lopez has instilled in her,