I find it so weird that Mel is now trying to step up to WTA now that her ranking is suffering, that seems so risky. That being said, its an excellent tourny choice with Fed Cup weakening the draw.
I find it so weird that Mel is now trying to step up to WTA now that her ranking is suffering, that seems so risky. That being said, its an excellent tourny choice with Fed Cup weakening the draw.
So, it's weird and risky but an excellent choice ?
I don't know if she has any plans of trying to get into more WTA tornaments. I would think it is more as your latter analyis that she may have handpicked a likely weakened draw. I don't know how weakened it will be, but does seem possible.
The idea is weird and risky since she will need to consistently beat players ranked above her to have any chance at gaining points and improving her deflated ranking.
This tournament, is however, a good tournament choice from her perspective if she wants to push herself since it will clash with Fed Cup and that can only help her chances of getting in, surely, if not only by a little :)
Ill hope for a nice draw of course.
-- Edited by murray_2k9 on Thursday 31st of December 2009 02:18:45 PM
My point was that I don't really see any real strategy of trying to step up to WTA level draws apart from so far this single event which you consider an excellent choice.
Certainly the qualifying draw has a chance of a weakened field, maybe more than the main draw.
She may become err arguably weird and risky in her choice, but not yet
Actually, last year Mel did almost exclusively play tour events, or at least attempt to qualify for tour events until Sepember on when her ranking had dropped down quite a bit.
Hopefully, by whatever means, Mel will make some real ground up the rankings particularly in the first half of the year. She has 80 points to come off from WTA Sydney L16 last year on 18/01 but actually in total has only 85 points to defend before April and in total 105 points to defend before June.
-- Edited by indiana on Thursday 31st of December 2009 06:37:29 PM
Well I just would have assumed after suffering a drop in rank and no doubt confidence, her priority would be to get some matches and points under her belt before trying WTA events. I hope it works out for the best, of course, but now that theres even more pressure to win I dont see why it really would.
It seems a lot of the Brits are trying main tour events early on now, I did wonder whether making a step up had been mentioned to the players by the LTA / Aegon to try and encourage progression, though I realise thats very unlikely and may all change.
If they take the ranking from this week for seedings in Bergamo then Boggo is currently 9th in the rankings, He needs one of Kukushkin, Beck, Brown, Rosol, Ascione, Dodig, Hrbaty or Evans to withdraw from the event to be seeded
Yes Dodig overtook him after a very good Australian Open where he qualified then won his first round.
As for withdrawls Brown has made his first ATP quarter final in Joburg and with a 10 hour flight back to Italy to play Bergamo i feel he may withdraw as he has done better than expected in Joburg, meaning Boggo will be seeded hopefully