23 Feb

A quiet day today, with only 4 matches if you exclude qualies for next week - Betfair put the markets up so late there was no liquidity at all for them so decided to give them a miss. Petra the pusher slayer beat queen pusher, but not a massive beatdown thanks to going walkies 2nd set and Errani trying to change her game up at the same time. There's the final in Memphis in a bit - there might even be a stream! - and the final of Bogota tomorrow, but that's it for this week.

Next week the WTA has an inaugural tournament in Florianopolis. Sounds an amazing place, worth looking up on Wikipedia. Could well get 24hr WTA, with tournaments in Kuala Lumpur, Florianopolis and Acapulco.

22 Feb

Petra Kvitova is singlehandedly saving tennis, slaying another pusher today, and with her mission to destroy the queen of the pushers tomorrow. Worrisome that she went for another walk in the market prematch today - someone thinks they know something, but let's hope whatever it is doesn't rear it's ugly head tomorrow. (Doesn't she brush up well?)

The coverage of WTA in the USA has been quite abysmal for years now, and today we had the stupid situation of no stream for the second semifinal in Memphis while there was a stream from a fixed webcam for a doubles match on the second court. This means we'll never know what occurred in Maggie's match. She had streaked into a 5-2 lead when there was an MTO. She then lost 5 in a row to lose the set and I fully expected a retirement, assuming the MTO must've been for her. But she played on and only just lost the second set 7-5.

21 Feb

Watched a superb match in Memphis between Maggie Rybarikova (above) and Kristen "Flipper" Flipkens. These two are the last of a dying breed of players who still play tennis "old stylee" for want of a better phrase. Don't think it's too far fetched to say that this might well have been the last time there is ever a match like it in the history of tennis, as they might never play each other again, and I don't think the youngsters are taught to play like this any more. So refreshing to watch after the endless pushing that's been dominating in Dubai.

Petra took a big walk in the market prematch, then went on to win, thank the lord. A SF lineup of Errani, Woz, A Rads and Vinci would've been one of the dullest ever. The burden of saving tennis from the tide of pushers rests squarely on Petra's shoulders. Pojd!

Didn't have any bets yesterday. None of the matches offered anything prematch and just could not back or lay anyone in play either. Managed a couple decent wins today and a few other smaller wins and losses.

19 Feb

Two horrific bets today, one based on sentiment, the other on lust! Hardly PROpunter behaviour, and packed things in after the second one lost.

I'll always tend to favour an attacking player over a pusher, and just cannot get it into my thick skull that the slow courts of today make this the age of the pusher. Errani beat Goerges today and didn't hit a single winner in the first two sets. As someone on WTAWorld said

"2 sets 0 winners is slightly more horrifying than 2 girls 1 cup. Please leave the top 10" .

I thought it might be time Arantxa Rus started realising her undoubted potential as I thought she'd played well in defeat in Auckland and Melbourne. But sadly today wasn't the day. 23 double faults in the thin Bogota air hardly helped, but I was so loathe to face facts and just could not bring myself to bale out as her opponent, the extremely mediocre Torro-Flor, had never, repeat never, won a main draw match before in her entire career! 

Oh well, draw a line under today's sad events.

18 Feb

Surprisingly early end to the day, as I'd expected Memphis to go on well into tomorrow. Shame, as it's the sort of day you just don't want to end, as almost everything went my way.

The one thing that did go against me was Urszula Radwanska, who was 1.01 to serve for the match. What the ****? Is she Urszula "Raonic" Radwanska? I'll lay that every time, so no regrets.

Alize Cornet had an awful attack of the serving yips during her match, one served going into the tramlines on the wrong side of the court! Never seen that before from anyone. But she surprisingly recovered from 3-6 down in the 2nd set tb to win, looking well out of breath, though she does that even at sea level. I can see myself obsessing with her breathing troubles all the way to her winning the title, a bit like Strasbourg last year when match after match she looked about to retire but somehow kept going, damn drama queen.

17 Feb

Fairly nondescript day, thanks to some idiot bets on the FA Cup screwing the PL for the day, plus a loss on Petrova/Srebotnik. Was nicely green on them but messed it up due to too much blind faith in Kata. She's one of my all-time fav players, great hands, singles career sadly cut short by injury, but still a force in the doubles. Did my dough enough times on her in singles and now continuing to do so in doubles!

Going to be a tough week with Dubai, Bogota and Memphis providing virtual nonstop tennis. Particularly interested to see Cornet at altitude in Bogota - she seems to have enough breathing difficulties at sea level! Off to bed for an 8.30 kickoff tomorrow.