TENNIS DRAWS AND WITHDRAWS – GLOBAL CHICK’S EASTBOURNE FRIDAY

Written by: Global Chick on 26th June 2015

TENNIS DRAWS AND WITHDRAWS – GLOBAL CHICK'S EASTBOURNE FRIDAY |

Photo by Lovey.

Draws and Withdraws – Global Chick’s Eastbourne Friday

It is always a bit mental on Wimbledon draw day. Those of us who scamper into the media centre listen intently to the draw being done on the ‘wireless’ (albeit digitally via our electronic typing machines), and we frantically analyse every last permutation before galloping out for a bit of tennis.

The crowd had been warmed up nicely on a breezy old day in Eastbourne, with some competitive doubles (just as well as the last doubles match of the day was cancelled due to an injury to Ekaterina Makarova).

Agnieszka Radwanska rekindled her form at a place where she once lifted the trophy, as she met the challenge of Sloane Stephens. That is not to say that Sloane did not give her pause for thought, but somehow missed the chance to take 10 break points in Radwanska’s first two service games, only be broken herself straight after that.

In fact the Pole went on quite a tear in the first set, but credit to Stephens who woke up and pushed back, eventually forcing a decider after getting the upper-hand in the tie-break.

Perhaps the strangest thing of the day was a dive-bombing seagull who decided to target Radwanska as she was serving at the start of the decider. Luckily it did not throw her off her stride as she played the odds with some daring drop shots into a fierce win that could not make up its mind what it was doing.

When asked if that was the weirdest thing that had happened to her (the seagull, that is and not winning against Stephens) she said: “I think so. Especially there were a lot of them flying around, but this one was really close.”

As far as the match went: “I think the wind was changing, as well. Sometimes I was changing sides and I was against the wind, and I was going to the other side and still I was against the wind! That was weird. And of course there was another wind from the side, as well.

“So it was really tricky. You just had to know that the wind is going from each side and just to hit the ball strong, because otherwise it’s gonna fly wherever it will fly.”

At least the crowd had that – because just three games into the semi-final between Belinda Bencic and Caroline Wozniacki, the Dane pulled up after surrendering her serve twice. There was a lengthy chinwag with the doctor before Wozniacki withdrew.

Bencic said: ““Definitely it’s not the way I wanted to win, of course. I’m also a little bit disappointed we couldn’t play a proper final because of course all the people and everyone.

“I didn’t know anything [about Wozniacki] before the match. Of course I also fell down a little bit yesterday, so I was more thinking of myself in that moment, so I didn’t notice anything what she had.”

Wozniacki came in shortly afterwards and confirmed that she had to pull out to give herself the best chance of competing next week.

She said: “I have had a slight back problem the whole week, basically. Today it stiffened up more, and I felt like I couldn’t move the way I wanted to and felt pain. I felt really bad for the crowd and everyone who had come out, but there’s nothing really I could do about it. It’s all about for me now just to look ahead for Wimbledon that’s starting in a few days. You know, just get as much treatment as possible and be ready for my first round there.”

There might have been a feeling of being shortchanged, but the Chinese doubles teams came out to entertain the crowds with impromptu doubles including three against one to the amusement of the onlookers.

Radwanska will battle Bencic for the title on Saturday.

Photo by Lovey.

Topics: Agnieszka Radwanska, Belinda Bencic, Caroline Wozniacki, Eastbourne, global chick, Tennis News, Wimbledon

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June 26, 2015 at 11:28 am

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