Singles Main Draw

(1)Elise Tamaela (NED) v Nina Bratchikova (RUS)
Amanda Keen (GBR) v (Q)Neuza Silva (POR)

Tanja Ostertag (GER) v (Q)Olga Panova (RUS)
(7)Pauline Parmentier (FRA) v (Q)Julia Goerges (GER)

(3)Katerina Bohmova (CZE) v (Q)Michaela Johansson (SWE)
Margit Ruutel (EST) v (Q)Liana-Gabriela Ungur (ROM)

Vojislava Lukic (SRB) v Jessica Lehnhoff (USA)
(8)Petra Cetkovska (CZE) v (wc)Sarah Coles (GBR)

(6)Katie O'Brien (GBR) v Katarina Kachlikova (SVK)
Nika Ozegovic (CRO) v (wc)Karen Paterson (GBR)

Carla Suarez-Navarro (ESP) v (Q)Anastasia Poltoratskaya (RUS)
(4)Maret Ani (EST) v (wc)Jade Windley (GBR)

(5)Melanie South (GBR) v Georgie Stoop (GBR)
Gaelle Widmer (SUI) v (wc)Naomi Cavaday (GBR)

Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) v (Q)Piia Suomalainen (FIN)
(2)Anne Keothavong (GBR) v (Q)Susanna Lingman (USA)

about this bit, how annoying!

(5)Melanie South (GBR) v Georgie Stoop (GBR)
Gaelle Widmer (SUI) v (wc)Naomi Cavaday (GBR)

Shedman in Sutton: Part 5:

Rebecca Llewellyn was disappointing, I didn't see much of her match but my friend watched it. Rebecca served really poorly, got very few first serves in and she kept feeding the Romainian girl loopy shots down the centre and Ungur was just thumping them away for winners off both sides. Both players have massive grunts and they're not the usual kind of grunt - Rebecca was making some really strange noises out there ! 

We spoke to Rebecca's Dad after the match. He said that she was struggling with a dead leg at the moment which probably explains why it was so one-sided.     

Natasha Khan was hugely impressive in her match against Vedy. There were several of us following it, several French girls supporting Vedy and Natasha's mum/coach and Nigel Sears. They were talking a lot about tactics and Natasha's game. Natasha broke in the opening game and had chances for a 3-0 lead with a double break. However, Vedy held on and worked her way into the match. It went with serve till Natasha served for it at 5-4. She led 30-0 but then made a few sloppy errors and Vedy broke back for 5-5. However, Natasha upped her level again, broke for 6-5 and took the set. She broke midway through the 2nd and held on to win. She really held her nerve at the end as Vedy served to stay in it at 5-7, 3-5 and Natasha had match points then but missed them. In the next game she got to 40-15 on her serve and she had an easy volley to finish things off but was too tentative with it and Vedy hit a running forehand passing winner. However, a forehand winner on the next point from Natasha gave her the match.

Natasha looked a really promising player. Her serve is a big weapon, it's as fast as Danielle Brown's serve but Natasha gets a lot more in. She can hit really big shots off both forehand and backhand and covers the court well. The area where she needs to work on is up at the next, she hit some great volleys but sometimes can be too tentative. She was really aggressive with her play today, moving Vedy all around the court with deep shots and following them into the net. Vedy is a leftie and she has a really effective forehand but at times in the match she was simply outpowered by Natasha. I spoke to Nigel Sears during the match and he said he was very impressed by Natasha, apparently he's been encouraging her to come forwards more and he was really pleased with the way that she was doing that today and taking the ball out of the air to finish off points.      

Spoke to Natasha afterwards aswell and congratulated her on her win, she was really nice and very pleased to have beaten someone ranked so much higher.

Emily had a really tough rd2 match against the Belgian girl Veys who's very tall and is a very hard hitter. Emily got broken from 30-0 up in the opening game (mainly ues from her) and and then again at 5-3 to Veys. She just got outhit in that set, was attacking the net a lot throughout the match but with mixed results. The 2nd set was a lot closer, Emily counter-punched more effectively, got a lot more balls back. She broke to lead 2-1 but then played an erratic service game to get broken straight back. Veys broke in the 8th game for 5-3 and served for it. Emily saved 4 match points with some great defensive play and actually had a bp herself but Veys saved it with a powerful backhand and then wrapped up the match on her 5th chance.

If Emily had served better and maybe volleyed a bit better, it could have gone to 3 sets and then it could have gone either way. She seemed a bit indecisive at times up at the net - probably rust. Nigel Sears said the problem was that she doesn't have her game plan clear in her head, but he told her that he could definately help her with that and they went off to discuss tactics.

I saw the first set and a half of Anna Smith's match with Panova. In this match, both players were just ripping the cover off the ball. Smith dominated the first set, she had the bigger serve and was returning Panova's superbly. Hit some simply stunning forehand and backhand winners, Panova didn't really have any answers, she came to the net and Smith passed her or hit tricky topspin shots, which dipped wickedly at the Russian's feet. Smith broke in the first game and then again to lead 4-1. However, Panova broke right back to make it 3-4. Smith held a close game and then broke again to take the set 6-3. Unfortunately she lost concentration at the start of the 2nd set and started making a few unforced errors. Lost 3 close games on the bounce and went 0-3 down - a double break and I left then. Was hoping that she'd get it together again and reproduce the form of the 1st set but looking at the final scoreline, it appears not   However, I was really impressed with Smith's game, she's another one who's looks destined for the top 300.

Fitzpatrick's opponent was just a solid baseliner, hits with heavy slice on the backhand side but isn't anything special. Anna broke early on and then won a marathon 5th game to lead 4-1 - there must have been something like 10 deuces in that - her opponent had several bps but Anna's serve got her out of trouble. She served for the set at 5-3, but got a bit tight and gave that game away with forehand errors. Luckily she broke again at 6-5 to take the set. I had to leave then, I'm surprised that she lost. Second set looks as though it was really close: 8-6 in the tiebreak to Silva - judging from the first set Anna would have had quite a few chances in set 2 - possibly match points - shame she didn't take them.

I'm a bit surprised that Dani Brown's 2nd round match wasn't closer. I didn't think she was playing consistently enough to win but thought it would be fairly close. Hopefully Nigel Sears can help her find more of a balance between going for big shots and going for too much. She also needs to get more 1st serves in and take less risks on the 2nd serve.

I approached Nigel and told him that I run a British tennis site. He was interested and I mentioned the idea for britishtennis.net and told him to check www.britishtennis.net at the end of the week when it'll be up. He said it was great that people were doing something to promote the women's side of British tennis aswell. I asked him whether he'd be interested in contributing and he said yes, I said how it's difficult to find out information on the matches  which Brits have been involved in unless one of us attends the tournament. He said he'd be able to pass on information if he was attending that tournament. We were going to discuss things further when his phone rang and then he went to talk tactics with Webley-Smith. I'm going to email him, will let you know if I hear from him.

Thanks a lot for the reports.

Exciting stuff concerning Sears. Make sure that you keep us informed.  

The shedman main draw preview:

As totalfan and Arka said, such a shame that Mel, Georgie and Naomi are all in the same mini-section   Shame on the organisers for allowing that to happen

Mel v Georgie definately looks like the match of the first round. Who do we reckon will win that one ?   They've never played previously, neither have had great starts to 2007....Mel got outplayed by Errani in Auckland and lost to the rising Swiss player Bacsinzsky in rd1 of Aussie Open qualies. Georgie has lost to lower ranked players in Stuttgart and Italy. I reckon it'll be a 3 setter, my prediction is that Georgie will edge it.

Naomi's got a tricky opener against Swiss leftie Gaelle Widmer, they played last spring in the final of a 10K in Sunderland. Widmer won 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 that day but Naomi's improved so much since then. She must be pretty confident right now after a great start to the year in Australia, I reckon she'll get revenge in straights.

I don't see Portugese qualifier Neuza Silva (who beat Anna F in 3 sets in the qualies) causing Amanda Keen too many problems. Silva's just a solid baseliner, no real big weapons. She seems to hit with heavy slice all the time on her backhand so if Amanda attacks the net a lot on that side that should pay dividends.

Could be an interesting rd2 clash between Katie and Karen, both players in great form at the moment.

Jade Windley got a main draw wildcard after Georgie Stoop made the main draw directly. She's got a really tough one against the 4th seed, should be good experience for her.

Unfortunately the ITF player profiles are down at the moment so I can't check stats for  the opponents  

Just had the first set of results come through and its mixed news.

On the good side:

Amanda Keen bt Neuza Silva (Por)(q) 6-4, 6-2 

Anne Keothavong (2) bt Susanna Lingman (USA)(q)  6-2, 6-3 

However....it's bad news for totalfan and the rest of us Cavaday fans

Gaelle Widmer (Sui) bt Naomi Cavaday (GB) 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-4                                      So we won't get the much anticipated South/Stoop - Cavaday rd2 match   I remember Sarah Borwell saying that Widmer is a very tricky player to face, has a difficult serve to read.

Also...Petra Cetkovska (Cze)(8) bt Sarah Coles (GB) 6-4, 6-2