Week 2 - Australian Open Qualifying

RBBOT · Futures qualifying

RE: Australian Open Qualifying

indiana · Tennis legend

Would seem to me very peculiar if Laura is a big part of the Hopman Cup event in Australia ( not even considering the Aussie roots that some Aussies go on about ) and then can't even get a qualifying WC for the Australian Open.

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 8th of January 2010 11:14:28 PM

Silver · County player

I thought Laura was past all the junior events now? Doesn't seem to make sense that she'd go back to it now. VERY INTRIGUING.

wolf · Tennis legend

Well with Laura only allowed to play 13 senior tournaments a year it is either play juniors or sit on the sofa with a remote control and eat big slabs of chocolate for chunks of the season.

philwrig · Hall of fame

You need to play tournaments so why not play against top class juniors on your least favoured surface. It's either that or practising everyday. It allows her to try out new shots/tactics without the pressure of needing to win matches on the senior tour to gain ranking points.

steven · Tennis legend

Laura's mother was on the Hopman Cup radio feed this morning saying that she hoped Laura would get a WC for the AO, so it sounds like they were going for one after all ... and now she's got one into qualifying according to http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-sport/robson-earns-australian-open-wildcard-20100109-lzsr.html

DavidC · Tennis legend

It appears there has been a change of heart for Team Robson. After the US Open Martijn Bok said : "If you play a junior tournament which isn't a Grand Slam you might get a good match in the semi-final or the final, but that's not enough", implying that Laura would play few if any junior events outside the slams.

Adding some clay events makes sense for reasons others have mentioned. However choosing South America means picking some of the weaker Grade1/A events (for girls anyway - the strength of Latin American male tennis makes the Boys' events very strong). The cut-offs last year for all three of these events was in the 400s, opposed to just outside 100 for the much stronger Italian Grade A, where Laura struggled last year. I suppose South America has been chosen because Laura has not played there (in ITF events at least).

I hope they are not going to chase the number 1 ranking though - that's likely to involve playing a substantial number of junior events, unless she wins 2 slams, when I would have expected the emphasis to be on preparing well for her limited number of senior tournaments. Playing a lot of matches against ordinary juniors isn't going to help her development I think.

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

So if shes playing those events i take it she wont be playing indian wells or miami.

I think for her long term development playing those clay events is the right thing. I hope she plays Roland Garros juniors aswell.

She is the best junior player who is still playing juniors by a long way so the #1 ranking is a formality really.

If she starts to quickly move up the senior rankings the plan will have to change though.

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

The #1 ranking will help raise her profile world wide and may improve her chances at WCs but I agree that it seems weird to seemingly lose interest in juniors, play seniors then switch back. I suspect the fluctuation between high level and much lower level tennis will be difficult to handle but should be good for the confidence and help Laura get some match practise away from the media glare.

Do you think Lauras management will be looking for WCs elsewhere outside of the UK?

-- Edited by murray_2k9 on Saturday 9th of January 2010 01:11:40 PM

RBBOT · Futures qualifying

I hope they are not going to chase the number 1 ranking though - that's likely to involve playing a substantial number of junior events, unless she wins 2 slams

Maybe that's another advantage of playing the weaker south american tournaments. Given junior rankings only come from 6 events grade 1/A wins in the bag down there would mean she could then focus on the slams with out playing too many other G1/GA events.

I doubt 6 GA wins would be enough for a #1 ranking without the slams, what with the Youth Olypmics giving someone else an extra 500 points over and above a normal year.

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

If you win 3 grade A's in 12 months you get a bonus 250 or 500 points anyway.

Playing the 4 slams plus maybe a warm up event for each one plus this south america tour should be enough.

Tennis36 · Masters Series Champion

Glad to hear Laura got a QWC, so many people were saying different things on the chances of her getting/wanting one

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

I suspected all along that she would get one, well deserved. Lets hope she can bag the 40 points and we can see where we go from there.

wolf · Tennis legend

RE: Week 2 - Australian Open Qualifying

philwrig · Hall of fame

This draw looks if it could be quite tough with a number of potentially under ranked players taking part. Oh and there is also a certain Wickmayer.