Week 44 - WTA Elite Trophy - Zhuhai, China [Doubles Only]

blob · All-time great

Week 44 - WTA Elite Trophy - Zhuhai, China [Doubles Only]

blob · All-time great

They persisted, resolutely click-less

RR1: Anna SMITH/Alicja ROSOLSKA (GBR/POL) [2] lost to ZHANG Shuai/LU Jing-Jing (CHN/CHN) [4] 3-6 1-6

indiana · Tennis legend

In the singles, if it is OK to interject in a doubles thread, I see that Ash Barty won her second match to qualify for the SF, beating Angie Kerber who has lost both hers. There are two players who have been on very different trajectories of late. Barty has passed Kerber in moving up to a live #16 ranking with Kerber dropping to #20.

2016 season end rankings: Barty WR 325, having not played that much but decided to give this tennis lark another proper go, Kerber WR 1.

Vandeweghe and Sevastova have also reached the SF with the fourth semi finalist to be determined tomorrow.

-- Edited by indiana on Thursday 2nd of November 2017 12:58:04 PM

JonH · All-time great

I have looked at this event and its previous incarnation, the Tournament of Champions, played in Bulgaria. Being frank, it is a money event, no prestige or relevance in my mind. It is just like the ATP's attempts at this type of event, the ATP Challenger Finals which were played in Brazil for a few years until 2 years ago, complete waste of time. ATP now have the next gen finals - similarly will be a waste of time, with weird and strange scoring systems. The season is over, lets not have players in events no one cares about or understands.

Rant over.

indiana · Tennis legend

To be fair that to me applies very much more to the doubles ( arguably a bit of a farce but it doesn't have ranking points so kind of whatever and maybe if it did things would be rather different although as pointed out earlier the tour finals singles and elite trophy singles would I believe take out some potential second tier doubles pairs ) as against the singles. Indeed I'm not quite sure how much applies to the singles at all although clearly it has to be a very much second best to the Singapore tour finals. And I took it that you were not just talking doubles.

The singles has ranking points ( 700 to an undefeated winner ) and the great majority of qualified players attend and seem to treat it pretty seriously.

11 of the players are from the 15 rankings #9 to #23 immediately below the 8 tour final players. The 4 missing originally or not taking alternate slots are #9 Konta ( foot injury ), #11 Kuznetsova ( wrist injury ), #16 Keys ( has had injuries earlier in the year, still issues? ) and #21 Serena Williams ( new mum ). The only singles WC is #27 Peng Shuai so even she is very decently ranked.

And I seem to recall folk being pretty interested in it as a serious event when Jo was competing last year.

JonH · All-time great

Hi Indy - no, I was referring to the overall event. It as a whole just feels irrelevant. Regardless of who is there I cant imagine us talking in 2 years time of that fantastic Elite Trophy and it's amazing memories. If it sits anywhere it is as a glorified exhibition with no lasting relevance. I can see the top players are there, maybe they genuinely do feel differently to me! Ill be interested how many years it lasts though and suspect it will be as long as the Chinese authorities are willing to put money into it. If they get the WTA Finals after Singapore, suspect the Chinese interest will wane!

paulisi · Tennis legend

Anna and Partner struggling again.
Easy money though for turning up...

blob · All-time great

Professional pride far stronger than the easy money it seems, as, despite not really clicking at all, they work hard and manage to take the second set, 3-6 6-4

blob · All-time great

But lose the MTB on the back of some shoddy serving

I've rather presumed that Anna will be back next year, and with Nicole as the partner, at least at the start of the year, but i don't have any evidence for either of those things.
I can categorically say that I very much hope they're both true though

One of the best doubles years by a Brit on the WTA in a generation, only Heather has surpassed it.
Well done Anna, have a good rest.

Michael D · All-time great

Yes, this is definitely not a partnership to be prolonged now. Anna and Nicole had begun to generate some good results and show potential of an ability to combine really well, so indeed hope they will continue in the new year and be together at the Aus Open, for which now they should have easy entry.

In the meantime, would be good to know if Joss has anything serious in mind for the new year... or is simply going to move onto a career in coaching now. She is still only 26, so would be more surprising if she will give up playing now.

Peter too · Tennis legend

I think this was the last time Anna Smith played. She doesn't seem to have entered any of the Australian WTA events leading up to the Australian Open, though according to her twitter she is on her way to Melbourne.