Both Sarah and Natasha really should qualify here, lets hope Sarah can find some form and Natasha has recovered fully from her achilles strain in Tenerife last Monday.
18 year old Latvian Linina is only ranked 1356 but she shouldn't be underestimated as she beat Anna Fitzpatrick 7-6, 6-2 indoors last month. However, that has been her only win since last July.
Very tough draw for Nadia Lee...her opponent is ranked 583 and made a 25K quarter-final last month, beating Vedy along the way
C Sperling (Ger)(15) bt N Khan (GB)(7) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
Poor result for Natasha against the 18 year old German who's ranked in the 700s, wonder if she was still affected by the ankle.
Also a bad result for Sarah, Gabueva is ranked 600ish and has mainly been playing futures with limited success. I think that Sarah needs to drop back down to futures to get some wins and form back.
Rd1: E Baltacha (GB) bt M South (GB)(2) 7-6(5), 6-2
G Stoop (GB) v Eva-Maria Hoch (Aut)(q)
Aaarghhhh @ the draw Just our luck, fairly weak field compared to the past few weeks, good chance for Bally, Mel and Georgie to all have some good runs particularly Mel who's been very short of form and two of them draw each other in rd1 ! Grrrrr Mel did actually win their last match 7-5, 6-3 in Jersey last year but she just seems to be in a slump singles-wise atm.
Georgie should win, she outranks her opponent by around 300 places though Hoch did make a 25K quarter-final in Stockholm earlier this year, beating a top 300 player in the process.
DUSTY DICK wrote: Thought Bally would get this one. She's on the way back.
But, more misery for Mel. She badly needs a good run.....SOON.
Anyone think that Mel should step down to 10Ks, play a few to get some wins under her belt and confidence back up...she's not able to buy a win in 25Ks at the moment where the easiest opponent she's going to get is at least top 300 and mostly top 250.
Georgie's opponent is ranked 209, but struggled to beat a Spanish wc in 3 sets in rd1. However, she did make a 25K in Minsk earlier this month and last week she beat Bally 1 and 0 and Claire Rickets (in 3 sets).
Bally's opponent is ranked 255 (has been as high as 176 back in 2005). She beat Georgie in 3 sets last month indoors in rd1 of the Biberach 25K but Natasha Khan then beat her in straights in the quarters.
The strange thing is, her doubles form is really rather good-2 Finals, a semi (two including this tournie), 3 quarters and no R1 exit. She's up to 198 in doubles now.
Still, not yet the time to be a doubles specialist. She'll get it back together-if she gets some wins, the confidence will come back.