I dearly hope that Barnes has a good week. As things stand, we will have absolutely no one in the Australian Open boys' draw.

 

You need to be around 120 (it varies a lot, of course) by the second week of December to get in and this is how things stand for players eligible and inside the top 600 -

 

228   CHAUDRY, James GBR 11 Mar 1991
236   CARPENTER, Jack GBR 11 Apr 1992
243   BARNES, Alastair GBR 07 Feb 1991
244   MARSALEK, James GBR 05 Apr 1992
254   THOMSON, David GBR 27 Jan 1991
304   EL MENSHAWY, Ahmed GBR 03 Mar 1991
343   GOODALL, Greg GBR 01 Jan 1991
348   COHEN, Joseph GBR 06 Aug 1992
353   MCCULLOCH, Jordan GBR 15 Mar 1991
376   THOMSON, Mathew GBR 27 Jan 1991
430   CALNAN, Benedict GBR 31 Dec 1991
440   JONES, Nick GBR 09 Sep 1992
461   TURBERVILL, James GBR 29 Jan 1991
479= DAVIS, Ben GBR 22 May 1992
488   BURTON, Lewis GBR 23 Mar 1992
515   HEWITT, Ashley GBR 06 Feb 1992
529   BROWN, Paul GBR 20 Feb 1991
532   ATKINSON, James GBR 26 Jun 1991
574= MORGAN, George GBR 07 Feb 1993 

There are some very talented players out there, but a lot of stepping up is needed to get into Slams in the first half of 2009.

Steph is said to be very good and was a great force once upon a time. But now she has her tournaments restricted by school and has gone down a bit.

Hopefully she'll start improving after she leaves school.

Don't you think Konta is better than both of them at the moment?

 

But your main point is soooo true! In 2003, Rae lost in the finals of the Junior Orange Bowl and Steph lost in the quarters. If they had been Russians, they would become full timers at 13/14 and at least one would go on to become a top Junior in a year or so.
Not wanting to blame them, obviously. Whatever path an individual chooses is her/her parents' decision and none of our business.

It's a tough world in women's tennis and you often don't get second chances. But there's still hope, I'm sure - you just need to look at Elliott! You just need to believe and everything will be possible.

-- Edited by Kung Fu Panda at 19:27, 2008-07-23

James lost by 63 36 62. Good effort, though.

Watters won by 75 62.

Barnes won by 76 (4) 64.


Watters and Barnes face off in the semis.

-- Edited by Kung Fu Panda at 18:33, 2008-07-24

Kung Fu Panda wrote:

---

Don't you think Konta is better than both of them at the moment?

But your main point is soooo true! In 2003, Rae lost in the finals of the Junior Orange Bowl and Steph lost in the quarters. If they had been Russians, they would become full timers at 13/14 and at least one would go on to become a top Junior in a year or so.
Not wanting to blame them, obviously. Whatever path an individual chooses is her/her parents' decision and none of our business.

It's a tough world in women's tennis and you often don't get second chances. But there's still hope, I'm sure - you just need to look at Elliott! You just need to believe and everything will be possible.

-- Edited by Kung Fu Panda at 19:27, 2008-07-23

---

Joss' dad usedto post on gbtennisgirls. Joss had loads of injuries for about 1-2 years after that orange bowl, i think it was connected to her growing, i think she grew a lot in a short space of time. when she started playing again she was probably getting used to being a different height.

Shes still a major talent i think. She'll probably climb up quite slowly in the next few months then will make a massive jump sometime in the not too distant future.

Ashley WATLING (GBR) (6) defeated Alastair BARNES (GBR) 6-3 6-2


Plays Hendrik Coertzen [573] of South Africa in the final. Should be another straight sets victory by the look of Coertzen's results.