Week 48 - Women's ITF (75K+H) - Toyota, Japan

steven · Tennis legend

RE: Week 48 - Women's ITF (75K+H) - Toyota, Japan

Akhenaten · Pro player

Wow. Didn't know Kimiko Date was still playing, she was world no.4 back in 1995!

She had a break of 12 years by the looks of it!

Her last 2 matches in 1996 were beating Monica Seles (by ret.) and a loss to Martina Hingis.

On her return this year she won 3 tournies in a row in June/July.

-- Edited by Akhenaten at 11:15, 2008-11-27

wolf · Tennis legend

Lykina is yet another top junior, she had a career high of 4 earlier this year.

QF
LAINE (FIN) / SOUTH (GBR) (2) defeated HSU (TPE) / TEZUKA (JPN) 7-6(2) 6-2

SF
AOYAMA (JPN) / INOUE (JPN) Vs LAINE (FIN) / SOUTH (GBR) (2)

Akhenaten wrote:

Wow. Didn't know Kimiko Date was still playing, she was world no.4 back in 1995!

She made a comeback this year.

-- Edited by wolf at 11:12, 2008-11-27

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

Well Done Mel. Keep going.

The path to the final is a little easier now but still very tough.

DUSTY DICK · Club Coach

Fingers crossed for Mel. Really hope she can make direct entry into AO. She deserves to make the top 100 for the results she's had this year. It's nice to see her playing a 75K as she will have to step up a level next year to keep the progress going. Let's hope she can make that breakthrough like Anne has this year. Well done Mel.

RedCabbage · Club Coach

Two women in the top 100 would be a dream, and with Mel being only 22 you feel that she's bound to have another good year either in 2009 or 2010 if she keeps the work up. It will be amazing if she can get herself into a position where she is an DA into slams - it would be a massive psychological boost to her as well knowing that her career is starting to run itself financially.

Peter too · Tennis legend

Next year we could well have the likes of Elena Baltacha, Katie O'Brien, Georgie Stoop, Amanda Elliott and Laura Robson in the top 200 and fighting to close on that 100 barrier. 2009 looks as if it could be an interesting year.

RedCabbage · Club Coach

I don't think that Laura will be top 200 - iirc she will still be heavily restricted over the number of senior tournaments she can play in. Or is that not the case once you hit 15?

I've seen most of the top 10 british girls play (all except Katie O'B and Emily W-S) and the one that stands out as being underranked is Bally. I don't really understand why she doesn't go deeper into tournaments week in week out. I know she's had her injuries but, when fit, I seriously think she has a top 50 game.

It would also be really good for Georgie to push on. Not necessarily ranking wise, but if she won a couple of rounds at Wimbledon I think the public would really take to her ala Eaton this year. Did she get a WC this year? She's pretty-much a shoe-in for one next year, I'd guess.

steven · Tennis legend

The impression I get with Bally is that on any given day, she either hits the lines most of the time or misses them nearly all the time - when she hits them, she does indeed play like a top 50 player, but when she doesn't, it's a disaster.

Georgie lost 3 & 3 to Gajdosova in the first round of qualifying for Wimby this year.

goldfish · Futures qualifying

Mel lost in the QF 3-6 5-7

Source: from a text by Mel to her own website

steven · Tennis legend

This is getting ridiculous - 4 players (men and women) seeded in the top 3 this week and only one has even reached the semis.

goldfish · Futures qualifying

Better news in the doubles:

Melanie followed up her loss in the singles with a win in the Semi Final of the doubles and a place in the Final.

3-6 6-1 [10-6] LAINE (FIN) / SOUTH (GBR) 2

In the Final, they play the 3rd seeds
DATE-KRUMM (JPN) / HAN (CHN)

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Well congratulations to Mel on getting to 110. Shows what you can achieve with clever tournament selection. It just seems to me that she's played so many matches recently against very modest opponents (relative to Mel) that she struggles against anyone who has some talent and performs well on the day.

I honestly think Mel is a better player than her recent losses would suggest.

PockyTastic · Futures level

kundalini wrote:

I honestly think Mel is a better player than her recent losses would suggest.

Agreed. Watching Mel play Mixed last year at Wimbledon with Boggo, it is clear that she has a lot of potential. I guess her mobility will always be an issue, but that hasn't stopped a lot of players reaching the top 100. I guess as Anne's rise has shown, it's all about self-confidence and belief.

-- Edited by PockyTastic at 12:22, 2008-11-28

-- Edited by steven at 13:03, 2008-11-28

PockyTastic · Futures level

Not sure what happened, there, the font size wents nuts and wouldn't shrink down....