Katie Swan

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

RE: Katie Swan

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

I like the concept of wildcards (although I can't help noticing that not everyone on here agrees with me wink ). I really like the romance of them but this WC highlights the one element I am not so keen on: that big corporate agencies can almost guarantee a WC for players signed to them, almost as part of their service. Nonetheless, hope Miss Swan plays well and makes the most of it.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The Optimist wrote:
I like the concept of wildcards (although I can't help noticing that not everyone on here agrees with me). I really like the romance of them but this WC highlights the one element I am not so keen on: that big corporate agencies can almost guarantee a WC for players signed to them, almost as part of their service. Nonetheless, hope Miss Swan plays well and makes the most of it.

Hear, hear.

It's nice to think that Indiana Wells 'looks kindly' on GB youngsters but if, as Jaffa astutely points out, it's nothing more than the strong arm of IMG, then that's a different thing altogether.

However, tennis is business, I guess . . .

wimdledont · Challenger level

Agree with all of the above, but it's not Katie's fault if the system is corrupted.

Hope to see her celebrating her 17th Birthday in style, on 24/3/16.

I'd also opine that (non-agency) Broady would look to have a better case for a WC than (IMG) Robson.

christ · Futures qualifying

Coup Droit wrote:
... Indiana Wells . . .

Heh.

RBBOT · Futures qualifying

Heather got a wildcard at her first Miami for winning US Open juniors, rather than giving any preference to GB youngsters. It is standard practice for this tournament.

paulisi · Tennis legend

ITF Junior Masters

The second ITF Junior Masters will take place at the Sichuan International Tennis Center in Chengdu, China on 8-10 April 2016.

Based upon rankings at the end of 2015, eight boys and eight girls have qualified to take part. The players will compete in a knockout competition over the course of three days, with each player guaranteed three matches to determine their final position.

The winners will be given first choice on a selection of professional wild cards and travel grants will be awarded based on the final finishing position ranging from $7,000 to $15,000. Throughout the course of the week the players will take part in a mentoring programme that is designed to aid them in their transition from junior tennis to the professional game.

The event will be hosted at the Sichuan International Tennis Centre up to and including 2017.

The inaugural ITF Junior Masters took place in Chengdu, China on 3-5 April 2015. The first event of its kind proved a great success, with top seeds Andrey Rublev (RUS) and Xu Shilin (CHN) winning the men's and women's events respectively.

The participants in the 2016 ITF Junior Masters will be:

Womens singles

Katie Swan (GBR)
Anna Blinkova (RUS)
Tereza Mihalikova (SVK)
Usue Arconada (USA)
Sofia Kenin (USA)
Charlotte Robillard-Millette (CAN)
Kayla Day (USA)
Miriam Kolodziejova (CZE)

Mens singles

Casper Ruud (NOR)
Mate Valkusz (HUN)
Hong Seong Chan (KOR)
Marcelo Barrios Vera (CHI)
Orlando Luz (BRA)
Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB)
William Blumberg (USA)
Alvaro Lopez San Martin (ESP)

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

Fingers crossed Katie can make the most of this (and her injury niggle in Miami doesn't hamper her)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

pbs.twimg.com/media/Cepiiw5WQAALBqo.jpg:large

That's some first car .....

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

Coup Droit wrote:
pbs.twimg.com/media/Cepiiw5WQAALBqo.jpg:large

That's some first car .....

A nice little birthday present last Thursday? smile

BradMarx90 · County player

Katie Swan saying on Twitter that she's torn a pectoral muscle and she's out for 8-10 weeks. Praying it's an April Fool.

Edit: It was. She leaves for China tomorrow.

-- Edited by BradMarx90 on Friday 1st of April 2016 12:47:48 PM

wimdledont · Challenger level

Katie seems to be dropping down to Juniors for the most of the May clay season, entered for Citta da Santa Croce, Italian Open, Belgian Open and (presumably) Roland Garros Juniors, in successive weeks.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Fair enough - I'm sure the plan is to try and protect the junior ranking and pick up the junior exempts again at the end of the season. I suspect she will play Roehampton and junior and senior Wimbledon as well before going over to play warm up events before US open and probably the orange bowl. The rest of the time will be filled in played on the main circuit.

WavenNarsam · Lower Club Player

paulisi wrote:
Fair enough - I'm sure the plan is to try and protect the junior ranking and pick up the junior exempts again at the end of the season. I suspect she will play Roehampton and junior and senior Wimbledon as well before going over to play warm up events before US open and probably the orange bowl. The rest of the time will be filled in played on the main circuit.

I think this is definitely the right thing to do. Katie doesn't have many points at the end of the season to defend in juniors, but quite a large number in the coming weeks. I think she will play the US Open and the Orange Bowl later in the year as well, where she has more or less nothing to defend in singles and doubles. As you pointed out, the junior exempts and the wildcards will give her more opportunities to rise up the rankings and compete at higher levels more consistently.

philwrig · Hall of fame

I'll go for an alternative interpretation. Knowing the importance of playing matches and training on clay for a junior, it's quite possible that instead of playing a couple of senior tournaments on clay where her inexperience on the surface may lead to a couple of 1st round losses, play at this level where she can guarantee winning matches/ get experience on this surface and get ideal prep for RG juniors. I don't get the impression that her priorities are juniors anymore except for the grand slams. I'll be surprised if she continues to play juniors after the US open.