I'm guessing with all of the focus on the US Open and Jade's junior success people haven't really noticed some British success here...or I'm just being very blind and not seeing a thread on it.
Qualifying Round Up
All Brits in qualifying lost their opening matches, Larkin and McLaren in Round 1 and Janbakhsh in the second round after a bye.
QF: Elizabeth THOMAS (GBR) (5) defeated Eugenia YORDANOVA (BUL) 7-5 7-5 Sandra SOLER-SOLA (ESP) defeated Kirsty WOOLLEY (GBR) 6-2 6-4
SF: Leticia COSTAS-MOREIRA (ESP) (WR 754) Vs Elizabeth THOMAS (GBR) (5)(WR 619)
Great run by Liz and Kirsty at this hardcourt event. Really buiding on QF finishes in Britain earlier in the summer. Liz stands a chance of making the final or even taking the title. Kirsty did well to take out the 4th seed in round 2 and lost a close match in her QF - hopefully she will stick to fast surfaces over clay from now on as clearly she could be ranked a lot higher judging by her recent results
Liz Thomas has taken advantage of a weakish 10K field in Mollerusa this week and is into her first semi-final at this level. Seeded 5th, she's yet to drop a set so far, though she had a tight quarter-final against Bulgaria's Eugenia Yordanova, coming through 7-5, 7-5.
Next up is unseeded Spaniard Leticia Costas-Moreira, who's ranked over 100 places lower 754 and hadn't been past rd2 of a 10K this year. It'll be a tough match though as Moreira took out the top seed and big favourite 7-5, 6-4 in the quarters
Liz has been on the up in the past couple of months, starting to make more inroads in these futures. She seems to have been buoyed by a stunning win over top 100 player Ashley Harkleroad at the Liverpool International in June.
Kirsty Woolley also reached the quarters this week, producing a remarkable turnaround to knock out the Greek 4th seed 0-6, 6-4, 6-3 in rd2 before losing 6-2, 6-4 to a Spanish girl.
Still an impressive week for Liz...her ranking in the past few years hasn't reflected her talent...last year she came within a point of beating Naomi Cavaday at the Wimbledon wc playoff. It's good to see her doing well on clay as all her best performances before had come on fast surfaces. Top 500 is definately within reach, that looks like a good end of season goal...she will be a threat in the indoor tourneys in Britain
Talking of Danielle Brown what's happened to her ? Hasn't played since May and has dropped to 679, hadn't had a good year at all. Surely not another player to retire or is it just injury ? Watched her in Sutton and if she can "dare I say" apply more brains to the brawn () get more 1st serves in and stop going for screaming winners on every groundstroke.......she could seriously go places...power-wise, she can compete with top 150 girls....reminded me of a young, very raw Elena Baltacha.
Totally agre about her game, such a raw talent but doesn't use her head. I've watched so many matches of hers when if she played within herself she would have won but she went crazy after playing a few dodgy games and lost.
) get more 1st serves in and stop going for screaming winners on every groundstroke.......she could seriously go places...power-wise, she can compete with top 150 girls....reminded me of a young, very raw Elena Baltacha.
