Since both Mr Eds are supplying reports from tournaments this weekend, we will be slovenly and
let someone else do the work for us! Esteemed tennis fan and keen observer C********
was at the qualifying and first round action at Indian Wells this week. I found her
observations about some of the lesser-known and up-and-coming players, most
of whom are probably known to us by name only, quite intriguing!
Alison Bradshaw
Bradshaw is a strong-hitting player with a big serve and effective forehand.
"But she does that thing where she leans over and stretches for her backhand
instead of getting her feet right," commented C********. "She had some moments, but
they were only moments." It also looks as though she could get herself in better
physical condition.
Daniela Hantuchova
C******** was particularly impressed with rising teen sensation Hantuchova, whom she
adopted as a favorite in qualifying. "She is tall but very willowy with thin long arms
and legs. She moves lightly around
the court and wallops the ball off both wings.
I would say the backhand is the
stronger of the two, but she hit forehand winners too."
However, C******** spotted some areas for improvement. "I notice that her game is upright.
She doesn't bend those long legs to get down over her backhand and
it causes errors on that wing.
Also her game is a bit on the delicate side. She hits some marvelous winners,
but the ball seems a bit light... not heavy like the regular WTA girls hit it."
And it seems that the youngster still lacks the steady nerves in the clutch.
"She didn't play the big points well at all," lamented C******** about her new fave.
"She actually double faulted on match point of her loss to Rita Kuti Kis."
"Hantuchova's hair is cut in long layers," noted C********, who is always attentive to
fashion details, "and is shaped short around her face and tapering to
nape lenght in the back. It's a nice medium brown with some sun streaking." She has an impressive
baseline game, which has allowed her to post some solid results early in her young career
Lina Krasnoroutskaya
Another teen sensation, the former world junior champion is already considered a star
of the future. C******** could see why. Yet another tall Eastern European girl,
Lina impressed C******** with her "star power".
"She walked out onto the court in a sprayed on pale mauve sleeveless top and
navy shorts with flared legs.
No logo on the clothing,
no logo on her shoes either. The logo was painted over.
Lina won her qualifying match fairly easily, and "looked to be using this match as a
little practice session," noted C******** . "She seemed to be working on her serve and
coming into the net. When she got in trouble in a game, she stopped doing those things
and went back to her usual game," which is hitting hard, deep groundstrokes.
Tatiana Poutchek
Tatiana Poutchek, out of Belarus, is another impressive member of the Eastern
European teen brigade. "She
has long blond hair and is pretty in a
'girls who play field hockey', healthy sort of way," judged C********.
She also plays with plenty of emotion.
"She slams her racket and talks to herself and yells at
herself and smacks her thigh with her racket so hard you can hear the sound
sitting far away." Be careful Tatiana, that can get dangerous!
Ana Paula de los Rios
Finally, C******** was charmed by one of the younger figures on the WTA Tour,
5-year-old Ana Paula de los Rios. No, don't worry, the WTA has not relaxed its
age restrictions yet. Ana Paula is the daughter
of Paraguayan player Rossana de los Rios. The little girl has become something of
a tour mascot, and is constantly around her mom even when she practices and plays.
During one practice session Ana Paula was scooping up balls for her mother, and C********
was amazed at the girl's fearlessness. Rocket-like shots coming off her mom's
racquet were whizzing past the girl, sometimes very close to her head.
But little Ana Paula didn't flinch, and calmly ignored the fusillade as she continued to scoop up
balls. When she got bored with this labour, the delightful little girl would run to her father
Gustavo and play with him for a while, before returning to watch her mother close-up.
Talk about getting some serious tennis immersion in one's tender years! This girl has tennis
in her blood, and I confidently predict that Ana Paula de los Rios will be the 2016
Roland-Garros champion.