7-6 First set win! Was up 4-1 40-0…And proceeded to lose 12 consecutive points.
What a match. Now go win that Championship!
Too many unforced errors. Congrats CoCo.
If I wrote the headline after this match, it would be about Coco’s toughness, mental and physical. She’s great to watch not just because of her skill and athleticism, but her brain. You can never count her out until her in-match adjustments don’t turn the match in her favor. It looked bleaker than normal early on, but she found the right combination of spin and power to keep up with Sabalenka while drawing her in and taking advantage of those opportunities. The forehand slice is a great shot to use when it’s that windy and she used it to perfection. Those adjustments also include switching coaches and getting her forehand under control, which if she can keep it under control, she can beat anyone.
For Sabalenka, the conditions and the opponent were a tough combination. She doesn’t have as high of a ball toss on her serve as she used to, but it still gets up there and in gusty winds, that’s a problem. The wind messed with her rhythm off the ground as well. She hits a flatter ball than Coco and when you play someone who can control their spin off the ground in the wind, that’s tough. She also admitted as much in the post-match that the conditions were terrible. I’m glad they didn’t close the roof and made them play in the elements because that’s part of the game. Sabalenka has come a long way, venting her emotions in a way that’s helped her more and I’ve admired that because that made the difference from her being a top 8 player to becoming #1. It’s tough playing a powerful, smart, resilient player that can get everything back.
SEVENTY unforced errors was the story of the match. Her drop shots were effective at times, but floated too often. CoCo was unflappable.
Wimbledon is a friendlier surface for her. We’ll see if she plays in the final…Maybe against CoCo again.
Playing human backboards isn’t fun, let alone powerful backboards. Many of those unforced errors is because of Coco hitting a ball back with pace that no one else can.
Wimbledon will be interesting. Sabalenka will be the favorite, but she hasn’t played there 2 of the last 3 years and grass is all about experience. Coco hasn’t made it past the 16s yet, so playing deeper into the 2nd week would be a win for her. The last 3 women’s winners were first-time major winners.