Week 1: (ITF) $50k Quanzhou, China (Hard)

jb288 · Satellite level

Week 1: (ITF) $50k Quanzhou, China (Hard)

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

Hmmm, why arent Cav and Mel coming??

PockyTastic · Futures level

Hoping to get into qualifying for the Australian sequence of tournaments? Mel should sneak into a few qualies... Cav might be too far out.

jb288 · Satellite level

Mel isn't in the qualies lists for either Brisbane or Auckland according to this site:

http://jhscoins.dk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=8&sid=6172ab8c9d8f181ce69738e27169d3c1

Katie & Bally both down to play qualies in Auckland (Katie MDO in Brisbane if I deduce correctly?). Have no idea where this person gets their info from tho - I find all the stuff on WTAworld about 'is x here?' all rather bizzare...

I would imagine Katie & Bally will make Sydney qualies if they so choose aswell, though Mel could really do with defending her big points there.

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

So Mel seems happy to let herself plummet out the top 200, im surprised she doesnt even want to try and scrape some points/confidence together. She must be banking on a good AO, she needs to qualify to recover most of the points she will lose...

PockyTastic · Futures level

From reading Mel's LTA blogs I think she is not concerned with chasing points as much as she used to (we all remember her intense end to 2008), which is probably a healthy thing. She had a pretty average start to 2009, and took that training block of in the Spring so must be aware that she has the opportunity to make big gains in the first half of 2010. Risky perhaps but probably better for the stress levels.

jb288 · Satellite level

I hope she makes the step down to regular 25ks (the long tour of 8 American 25ks after the AO, maybe?) instead of having tough draws or having to qualify for 50-100s; it'd be a lot better for her confidence and she would quickly be able to step back up once she got some form together. I don't think the likes of Anna Smith and Mandy Elliott made the step down to 10k soon enough when they were off form, persisting in hoping for that one big win that'd turn things around - far better to preempt it, get some confidence and then come back on the upturn.

PockyTastic · Futures level

I agree that stepping down would probably boost Mel's confidence - I was shocked when I realised that Glasgow was her first final of the year. Completely agree what you said about Mandy and Anna S, fortunately for Anna it saved her season, but for Mandy it seemed too late and her confidence seemed to have been destroyed which is a massive shame as she has the potential to do well. So back to Mel, maybe she should do what Katie did so effectively this year, which is mix up the 25Ks with bigger events, to rely solely on 25Ks is unwise as there aren't loads of points available in them and she would have to win reams of them to get back into the top 115/100.

jb288 · Satellite level

Yes, I really hope Mandy doesn't do a Tash and pack it in; one bad season isn't the end of the world - let's hope there are people to support her and that she can work her way back this year.

PockyTastic · Futures level

Q1: Tara MOORE (6) 618 vs Kai-Lin ZHANG WC UNR

Last year Zhang played 6 qualifying draws (all ITFs in China) and only made it to the main draw once. She hasn't defeated anyone over the past 2 years that I know anything about so it's hard to guage, but being an unranked player born in 1989, she looks like an opponent Tara with her head screwed on should defeat...but we all know how up and down she is, hopefully this week the Tara who defeated Daniilidou will be playing and she will blast her way through to the main draw!

-- Edited by PockyTastic on Friday 1st of January 2010 03:33:37 PM

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

Lets hope Tara gets herself going in 2010

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

If she loses this I will be very dissapointed, if she could qualify and win a match that would be great for her confidence and get her climbing the ranks again! She has been quite ill I believe, anyone have any info on her?

PockyTastic · Futures level

I had no idea she had been ill, might explain a few things. I hope she's 100% ok now.

indiana · Tennis legend

Unfortunately Tara very narrowly lost 9 - 7 in a third set tiebreak after a slow start.

Q1: Tara MOORE (6) 619 lost to Kai-Lin ZHANG WC UNR 6 -1 6 - 7 (4) 7 - 6 (7)

Real pity, since as folk said it would have been really good for her to have a good start to the season and hopefully kick on from there. Hopefully, though, it will still come together more quite soon.

-- Edited by indiana on Sunday 3rd of January 2010 10:19:26 AM

seagull · Hall of fame

Oh dear