TENNIS: Eastbourne semis
Jun. 28th, 2025 08:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
feather_ghyllWomen’s semi-finals:
Far less wind and at some point in the first match, the sun came out.
First up were Alexandra Eala, the young breakout star at Miami, and Vavasora Gracheva, who is a bit older and more experienced. Both qualifiers, Eala had benefited from a withdrawal from Ostapenko (with a foot injury after Eala had gone ahead) and Gracheva getting a walkover because of Kerjikova’s withdrawal. She also maybe had a boost from having won in a recent match.
Eala started off hot, but Gracheva got into it more, until Eala got off on a run and won what looked like a close set. Eala generally looked better the more aggressive she was, and she looks solid at the net. Eala started the second set well and was up 2-0, but Gracheva started taking advantage of weak second serves, and won the second set quite easily, after her own run. I was almost minded to go ‘oh no’ when Eala started the third set well by winning two games, because of course Gracheva came back. We then had an exchange of breaks, with both women’s forehand seeming to go off whenever they were serving. Things stabilised, but it was a frustrating watch. Wouldn’t anyone take it by the scruff of the neck? Eventually, Eala found a way through to her first WTA final, and referenced the fact that it had been a long tournament for her and Gracheva.
Next up, Maya Joint (youth) and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (experience, although she hasn’t had a sniff of a final for about a year and a half.) At 0-40, was the Russian regretting electing to serve? No, because she turned it around and was soon up 3-0. Joint regrouped and won three games on the trot, but Pavlyuchenkova had more power, broke and was up 5-3, when she wobbled/Joint started reading her serves and finding her own power. The American-born Australian won it 7-5.
Joint was even more impressive in the second set, because she pushed, breaking to love, consolidating, and came close to breaking again twice. She showed her power and touch, and although Pavlyuchenkova was able to stave her off for a bit, when Joint was a game away, she was irresistible. It’s her second final of the past few months, and she’s on her way up. She may even be the favourite, because she’ll be fresher. Her reaction after winning – pleased, but not as big and emotional a reaction as Eale, although she’d had a tougher match and it was more of a milestone, suggested she was ready for more. And she is the higher ranked player. Anyway, it’ll be a young final.
Men’s semi-finals:
The wind was more of a factor than earlier in the day, but not as bad as it’s been, either.
Ugo Humbert (the fourth seed) and Jenson Brooksby (see his appearance at Queen’s) were the first men’s semi. I’m not saying I caught all of this due to issues with the feed and napping. At first, I thought Brooksby’s serve had improved, and it would be big hitting all the way. There were soon caveats and nuances to that. Lefty Humbert was naturally more attacking, Brooksby happier in a rally and able to work the ball. He got the early break, Humbert won it back when Brooksby should have been serving for the set and pinched the set.
Brooksby started the second set well and defended his break, even though he was struggling for a first serve and his second set was weak. More back and forth in the third set, with their exchanging breaks, Humbert’s attempt to impose his game led to his making more errors (also the wind was a factor). The final few games were tough ones, with Brooksby finally earning a match point because her regained his scoreboard lead through dogged play, but he was made to work and work again to finally convert one of them. I think this result returns him to the top 100.
For the final semi, Davidovich Fokina actually had a winning record against Fritz, but Fritz broke him in game 2 and his serve seemed on song. However, DF raised his game from then on, holding his own serve, and so it shouldn’t have been a surprise that he was ready to take advantage of a casual service game from Fritz in the second set, and then consolidate. He showed a good transition game and willingness to come to the net. Fritz served powerfully in every other game in the second set, but to no avail.
The third started on serve, but Fritz was able to retrieve and press and DF lost on serve. Although he pushed back in the next game, Fritz would not yield, and was soon pressurising DF on his serve. He would break a second time to ensure the win and that Fritz would be through to yet another Eastbourne final (where I think he has to be the favourite…because of their relative serves, and the whole top 5 player thing.) An all-American final, then.
Far less wind and at some point in the first match, the sun came out.
First up were Alexandra Eala, the young breakout star at Miami, and Vavasora Gracheva, who is a bit older and more experienced. Both qualifiers, Eala had benefited from a withdrawal from Ostapenko (with a foot injury after Eala had gone ahead) and Gracheva getting a walkover because of Kerjikova’s withdrawal. She also maybe had a boost from having won in a recent match.
Eala started off hot, but Gracheva got into it more, until Eala got off on a run and won what looked like a close set. Eala generally looked better the more aggressive she was, and she looks solid at the net. Eala started the second set well and was up 2-0, but Gracheva started taking advantage of weak second serves, and won the second set quite easily, after her own run. I was almost minded to go ‘oh no’ when Eala started the third set well by winning two games, because of course Gracheva came back. We then had an exchange of breaks, with both women’s forehand seeming to go off whenever they were serving. Things stabilised, but it was a frustrating watch. Wouldn’t anyone take it by the scruff of the neck? Eventually, Eala found a way through to her first WTA final, and referenced the fact that it had been a long tournament for her and Gracheva.
Next up, Maya Joint (youth) and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (experience, although she hasn’t had a sniff of a final for about a year and a half.) At 0-40, was the Russian regretting electing to serve? No, because she turned it around and was soon up 3-0. Joint regrouped and won three games on the trot, but Pavlyuchenkova had more power, broke and was up 5-3, when she wobbled/Joint started reading her serves and finding her own power. The American-born Australian won it 7-5.
Joint was even more impressive in the second set, because she pushed, breaking to love, consolidating, and came close to breaking again twice. She showed her power and touch, and although Pavlyuchenkova was able to stave her off for a bit, when Joint was a game away, she was irresistible. It’s her second final of the past few months, and she’s on her way up. She may even be the favourite, because she’ll be fresher. Her reaction after winning – pleased, but not as big and emotional a reaction as Eale, although she’d had a tougher match and it was more of a milestone, suggested she was ready for more. And she is the higher ranked player. Anyway, it’ll be a young final.
Men’s semi-finals:
The wind was more of a factor than earlier in the day, but not as bad as it’s been, either.
Ugo Humbert (the fourth seed) and Jenson Brooksby (see his appearance at Queen’s) were the first men’s semi. I’m not saying I caught all of this due to issues with the feed and napping. At first, I thought Brooksby’s serve had improved, and it would be big hitting all the way. There were soon caveats and nuances to that. Lefty Humbert was naturally more attacking, Brooksby happier in a rally and able to work the ball. He got the early break, Humbert won it back when Brooksby should have been serving for the set and pinched the set.
Brooksby started the second set well and defended his break, even though he was struggling for a first serve and his second set was weak. More back and forth in the third set, with their exchanging breaks, Humbert’s attempt to impose his game led to his making more errors (also the wind was a factor). The final few games were tough ones, with Brooksby finally earning a match point because her regained his scoreboard lead through dogged play, but he was made to work and work again to finally convert one of them. I think this result returns him to the top 100.
For the final semi, Davidovich Fokina actually had a winning record against Fritz, but Fritz broke him in game 2 and his serve seemed on song. However, DF raised his game from then on, holding his own serve, and so it shouldn’t have been a surprise that he was ready to take advantage of a casual service game from Fritz in the second set, and then consolidate. He showed a good transition game and willingness to come to the net. Fritz served powerfully in every other game in the second set, but to no avail.
The third started on serve, but Fritz was able to retrieve and press and DF lost on serve. Although he pushed back in the next game, Fritz would not yield, and was soon pressurising DF on his serve. He would break a second time to ensure the win and that Fritz would be through to yet another Eastbourne final (where I think he has to be the favourite…because of their relative serves, and the whole top 5 player thing.) An all-American final, then.
