From: adolce@bbn.com (Anne Dolce)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
Subject: Bausch & Lomb Comments
Date: 15 Apr 1992 17:19:56 GMT
Organization: Bolt, Beranek & Newman, Inc.
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: spcsun24.bbn.com


Here are a few comments on the Bausch & Lomb tournament that I
just attended.

I think Steffi was a little fortunate that she beat Arantxa in
the semi-finals.  I suspect that many of you saw the first set
on ESPN on Saturday.  Steffi was not playing that great and
was visibly upset with her play and some of the long discussions
on questioned line calls.  Also, the damp, heavy air conditions 
definitely favored Sanchez.  Had they been able to play the entire
match on Saturday, Arantxa probably would have won.  On Sunday, 
the weather was clear which favored Steffi's game more and she 
had some time to unravel a bit.

Based on Steffi's comments in the Jacksonville papers, I get the
impression that her match against Arantxa took a lot out of her
emotionally.  She said she had basically nothing left in the
3rd set against Sabatini because of her "tough, tough match" with
Arantxa.  That was certainly understandable.

Steffi had to get up at 6:30 AM on Sunday to finish the semi-final
match which started at 9:00 AM.  Arantxa won the tiebreaker rather
easily (7-3), but the next two sets were a real dogfight and closer
than the 6-4, 6-3 score might indicate.  Arantxa also seemed to be
bothered by some type of thigh injury or leg cramp (perhaps as a 
result of the bad fall she took late in the first set on Saturday).  
She had to be attended to by the trainer at least twice in the 2nd
set.  She didn't seem to move too well on a few points and her 1st 
serve didn't seem to have the usual punch to it. Afterward she said
that she played with a lot of pain.  Gutsy kid.

On the other hand, Sabatini's semi-final match against Conchita 
Martinez was a breeze (like a good practice session).  The match
was not as close as the 6-3, 6-3 score would seem.  Conchita was 
also bothered by tendinitis in her right shoulder/arm.

I think it stinks that they had to play the semi-finals and finals 
on the same day.  They only delayed the start of the final about
45 minutes.  Actually, Arantxa really got screwed the worst.  She 
had to play 3 matches on Sunday (semi vs. Steffi and the semi's and 
finals in doubles).  If Arantxa had won her match against Steffi,
then she would have had to play 4 matches on Sunday.  And the WTA
is concerned about burning-out its players????

With regard to Arantxa, she plays a very similar style to Sabatini.
I suspect she and Steffi will battle it out for the gold medal in
Barcelona.  I just hope she doesn't burn herself out.  She seems to
play both singles and doubles at the tournaments and, therefore,
ends up playing quite a few matches since she usually advances quite
far in both.

Steffi did seem to be playing with a little more variety in her
game.  She was doing a good job of throwing in a few topspin backhands
and going down the line with both forehands and backhands (instead of
her patented cross-court shots).  She played an outstanding match
against Leila Meskhi in the quarter-finals on Friday morning.  Sabatini 
even commented afterward that she noticed more variety in Steffi's game.  
Steffi has a ways to go, but it's good to see she's working on new stuff.

Anne
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