Bah, this is dispiriting.

Pennetta did play well and she didn't miss in the first set while not letting anything past her and she played two great points from 30-30 when Daniela was serving for the second set to break back.

Getting broken from 40-0 and another game point in the first game set the tone for the first set and gave Pennetta momentum that she carried through the first set. I think Pennetta only made 2 errors in the first set while the wind affected Daniela's timing and rhythm so she made errors and she hit DFs at crucial times. The first set was played on Pennetta's terms with lots of backhands from her and she won a lot of points on the backhand. Plus she was dictating a lot of rallies.

When Daniela got the rallies to be forehand to forehand, especially crosscourt, she usually won the point and she did that successfully for a lot of the second set and got her into a 5-3 lead. Again, Daniela showed her determination to fight back after being bageled in the first set and being down a break. From 5-4 in the second Pennetta made sure that most of the rallies were backhand to backhand, and that took her to the match.

It's disappointing but Daniela didn't play too badly and she hit some nice shots but she also made errors and the conditions didn't suit her while Pennetta played well, especially in the first set.

When you look at the first set, you can see the difference between Pennetta, a solid player used to go pretty far in tournaments and Hantuchova, a very irregular player who is capable of miracles only once in a while.
Pennetta had just to wait for Daniela to do UE, she didn't have to force her talent in the first set.
I think Hantuchova has really to be more agressive even by doing more errors at the beginning

Order of Play Wednesday 18th August

Banque Nationale (from 11.00hrs)
1. Dinara Safina vs. Nadia Petrova
2. Victoria Azarenka vs. Maria Kirilenko (NB 12:30PM)
3. Timea Bacsinszky vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova
4. Daniela Hantuchova/Caroline Wozniacki vs. Kveta Peschke/Katarina Srebotnik
5. Sybille Bammer vs. Kaia Kanepi (NB 7PM)

If I was her, I'd run back to Eduardo Nicolas. Or hire an experienced coach that understands her serve is the big problem and makes her use her talent (and height!)... To be honest,it doesn't matter who her coach is if she isn't going to listen to the advice. She called her coach at 0-3* in the first set and he said to get involved in longer rallies and not go for too much-so of course the next few games were littered with UE's as she went for too much off her first groundstroke. Carlos might as well not have come on the court.

It's disappointing but Daniela didn't play too badly Um,yes she did,in fact she was excruciatingly poor. She is better than what she showed yesterday.

You can always rely on Benji the vitriolic critic to quote selectively and out of context.

Good analysis of the match, Marek.

Pennetta just beat Kleybanova 6-3 6-3 so she's playing well this week.

Doubles is on

1-2

2-2, hold to deuce.

2-3

2-4, broken, bah!

2-5, got to deuce but Peschke & Srebotnik held.

3-5.

4-5, break to deuce, so saved a set point.

4-6, broken to 15.


2nd Set

1-0, Daniela & Caroline break.

2-0, save a couple of BPs to hold.

2-1.

3-1.

4-1, break to 30.

4-2, broken to 15.

5-2, 4 straight points from 30-0 to break, two DFs by Srebotnik.

6-2.


Super Tiebreak

Peschke & Srebotnik serving first

0-1
0-2
0-3
1-3
1-4
1-5
2-5
2-6
3-6
3-7
3-8
3-9
3-10

I really though Daniela & Caroline would carry the momentum from the second set into the tiebreak but Peschke and Srebotnik bossed that from the start and ran away with it. I was really hoping that Daniela could have a good run in the doubles as a few times in the past when success in doubles has helped Daniela when she's been struggling in singles and she's been able to carry her doubles form into singles. It would have been great to win but Peschke and Srebotnik are good doubles players.

I guess Daniela and Caroline have the makings of a decent team and they seem to get on and have fun together. They've both entered New Haven so we'll see what happens there. I really want Daniela to have good run in the singles there.