Congratulations to Naomi - our first representative in final qualifying since Karen Cross in 2001. Karen qualified twice and won a match (two in 1997) in the main draw, so let's hope Naomi can follow suit.
This is from the Wimbledon site:
However, despite a spirited response, the German ranked 133, slipped to a 6-0,3-6,7-5 defeat, having held a match point bravely saved by a rare Cavaday backhand volley.
Cavaday, who lead 6-0,2-0 before Kerber was able to make an impression on the scoreboard, admitted that she would have been unable to maintain that level of play for a whole match.
"I started missing my shots and got a bit sloppy," she said on dropping her first game. "I didn't do that yesterday but Im pleased with myself the way I managed to come through in the third."
She then went on to reveal: "I try to surprise my opponents from the beginning but she is a tough player. She played well in the second set but then she had no choice but to raise her game."
I don't know what I was doing on the match-point because I hadn't come in [to the net] all match and I found myself hitting a backhand volley on match-point down. I think I surprised her with that one; it worked, that's the main thing!
Naomi started like a train and was able to break her opponent at will. She had far more power on her shots but in the second set her opponent started to get everthing back and Naomi looked to be flagging.
I had to leave at 4 all in the 3rd and I must admit I was suprised to see she won as she looked exhausted! The wind was a major factor with several times Naomi throwing the ball up to serve, leaving it and it ended up near the service line!!
I think when we think 'disasterous performance' we need to remember that all are people in qualies are there on WC; those in the 100- 250 range (who would by right compete in qualies) are in the MD. Thus, EVERY match is one where the home players are outranked.
Naomi C was by far the strongest of our players in qualies, as her illness break makes her 'underranked' at the moment - she is the only one who would really right now be there by right as a 100-250 rank player.
We shouldn't expect 50% win rates when we are outranked in every contest. It's not fair to expect it either.
Frankly, the men did really well in qualies to get to it, a testament to the younger guns.