TENNIS NEWS FROM ENGLAND’S SUMMER GRASS / AND THEN THE RAINS CAME – GLOBAL CHICK’S BIRMINGHAM DIARY

Written by: Global Chick on 20th June 2015

TENNIS NEWS FROM ENGLAND'S SUMMER GRASS / AND THEN THE RAINS CAME – GLOBAL CHICK'S BIRMINGHAM DIARY

Spectators look at rain clouds passing by during the semi final match Andy Murray of Britain against Viktor Trocki of Serbia at the Aegon tennis championships at the Queens Club in London, Britain, 20 June 2015. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA |

And then the rains came – Global Chick’s Birmingham diary.

So much for those weathermen and their long range predictions – today was a day of trench foot, and yearning for fish and chips. It has to be said, despite a clean-up since my student days in this city, the only fish you might find would be in the canals and would quite possibly be radioactive.

Still there was the small matter of a couple of semi-finals to be done, with the battle of the two WTA Rising Stars first up. However, not even their radiance could make a dent on the storm clouds. We were just four games in with Karoline Pliskova having roared into the lead before the rains came the first time.

Pliskova wasted absolutely no time polishing off the first set when they came out, and while Kristina Mladenovic really came alive in the second set, despite another hurried departure, this time with the heavens opening so loud, it actually sounded like applause within the confines of the media centre.

With absolutely no chance to even venture out and grab a fresh crepe, we were trapped inside until somewhere miraculously some blue sky decided to come on over to the Midlands for a look-see. Rain, what rain? In a competitive second set, it seemed as though Mladenovic had Pliskova’s number, building up three set points in the process, but with the inquisitive blue sky deciding to wander off where tennis was not being played, Pliskova reeled off five points in the bounce to win in two sets, 6-2 7-6(6).

Not bad for someone who had never even won back to back games of the slick stuff really, as she explained:

“I think my game is good on grass. I don’t know why I didn’t have any good results before this. I’m happy it’s coming now. For me it’s really important to play like this, especially ahead of Wimbledon. Hopefully I can have some good results there as well now.”

She will face the queen of the all-German affair when Angelique Kerber beat teammate Sabine Lisicki (and it has to be said, the majority of the Birmingham crowd), 6-3 6-3.

The heavens had opened (again) just after Pliskova had finished her on-court interview, so when those teasing blue-skies came back, Kerber wasted absolutely no time, securing a break to nudge ahead in the first set, breaking again to take the first set.

She needed just the one break in the second to stay ahead, booking her place in the final on her second match point.

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s final, she said: “Pliskova is also playing very well, very tough, deep, and strong. So I think it will be like maybe similar like today, the match tomorrow. But of course every single match start from zero and it’s another day, another match. She has a strong serve as well, so I must be ready to return it very well.”

There is just one day to go before I might venture southwards… in search of fish and chips and the ice-cream-stealing seagulls… but more of that next week.

The final is scheduled to take place at 1pm BST.

Spectators look at rain clouds passing by during the semi final match Andy Murray of Britain against Viktor Trocki of Serbia at the Aegon tennis championships at the Queens Club in London, Britain, 20 June 2015. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA

Topics: global chick, Grass tennis, Sports, tennis update, Wta

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10sBalls_com says:

June 20, 2015 at 2:29 pm

#TENNIS NEWS FROM ENGLAND’S SUMMER GRASS / AND THEN THE RAINS CAME – GLOBAL CHICK’S #BIRMINGHAM DIARY- http://t.co/peGrLeCeC1 #WTA