Week 42 - ITF ($25K) - Glasgow, UK Hard

Maza1987 · Challenger level

RE: Week 42 - ITF ($25K) - Glasgow, UK Hard

Peter too · Tennis legend

Summary:-

R2: FITZPATRICK, Anna (GBR) Q 545 lost to SAVINYKH, Valeria (RUS) 252 1-6 4-6
R2: WHYBOURN, Lisa (GBR) 331 lost to BERGOT, Audrey (FRA) 236 6-2 5-7 1-6
R2: BROADY, Naomi (GBR) 242 beat GRONERT, Sarah (GER) 247 6-1 6-2
R2: MOORE, Tara (GBR) Q 388 beat TAMAELA, Elise (NED) 244 6-2 6-3

QF: BROADY, Naomi (GBR) 242 v BERGOT, Audrey (FRA) 236
QF: MOORE, Tara (GBR) Q 388 v DE LATTRE, Magali (POR) Q 442

The Knight · Challenger qualifying

what a chance for Tara

there it is, i just jinxed her :0

clayfan · Lower Club Player

Very impressive performance form Naomi Broady. Tara won comfortably in the end. I remember Tamaela from a few years back. I think she was the Dutch no.2 back then so I expected a tough match for Tara today. It seems the Dutch girl is not back to the level she once was at, but a good performance from Tara.

Really sad for Lisa in her match. She started very well. Outplaying her opponent and looking the winner all the way until the end of the second set. But as Cav found out yesterday, Bergot is a very slow starter but she seems to fire up just when her opponent is tiring. Lisa kept on trying but there was no way back fron 4-0 down in the third.

Anna lost the first set of her match very easily. However she recovered to go 4-1 up in the second, when the trainer was called and her thigh was strapped up. She never won another game. She is still competing in the doubles though with Tara Moore.

On paper Tara should beat the Portuguese player tomorrow, but I think it will be tough. Not seen her play but she has battled through all the way through qualies just like Tara so it might be a "sair fecht" Broady is next up for the Brit basher Bergot. Hopefully Naomi can put her away before she gets into her stride this time!

DavidC · Tennis legend

Thanks for the report Clayfan. I have to admit as a Sassenach that I had to use Google to find out what "sair fecht" meant though smile

Fingers crossed that Anna's injury doesn't turn out to be anything serious - she's had more than her fair share of those.

LordBrownof · Futures level

Naomi just tweeted this -

NaomiBroady- "Interesting how the last 3 brits left in the singles all aren't receiving LTA funding"

I know that Dan and Naomi had their funding withdrawn but why doesn't Tara get any?

Peter too · Tennis legend

Tara's was withdrawn this year. I think the LTA thought she hadn't made as much progress as expected. As it happened, she had started to get better results a few weeks before the funding was cut off.

indiana · Tennis legend

Naughty, but nice Naomi smile

( though in thinking about as I suggest in a later post maybe not entirely helpful )

Re Tara, she's certainly not in the main AEGON funding group this year. I know there has been problems between Tara and the LTA in the past with implications about her attitude. A few months ago when there was some criticism about Tara's weight on the forum her mother came on and gave quite a lot of detail about how it was to a large extent in her physical make up. She explained how the LTA going all out to make her basically leaner, fitter had actually caused her quite serious medical issues, and basically they went their separate ways.

I did think there had been some rapprochement lately and she might be getting some help, but maybe not.

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 22nd of October 2010 10:40:34 AM

LordBrownof · Futures level

So will she get the funding back next year becuase of her improvements? It would seem ridiculous for her not to. But then this is the LTA.

And on Naomi, have they withdrawn funding for good? Her problems seem to be very much in the past.

LordBrownof · Futures level

If true, seems like the people making decisions at the LTA need to go on some management training. The physicality of players is different, so just like in every other sport, training needs to be tailored to the individual.

The withdrawal of funding from Dan and Naomi also perplexed me. Yes they were irresponsible but they were teenagers and it's hard growing up missing out on the fun that your friends are having. I think there are other ways to punish people than to completely withdraw funding for so many years. To me, this type of punishment appears to lose/lose.

indiana · Tennis legend

Well, certainly on results and considering how young she still is Tara would be one of the first names I'd be putting down for the next funding group, so unless there are still serious other issues

But as I said I'm sure I'd read that there had been some form of rapprochement ( my word of the day smile

)

Re Naomi there have now apparently been for some time serious issues between the Broadys and the LTA which I don't fully understand ( but I think a lot does link back to the stand the LTA took on Naomi's social website stuff ) but there is no sign of any ( oh go for it ) rapprochement from either side. Little twitter digs probably don't exactly help

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 22nd of October 2010 10:50:16 AM

LordBrownof · Futures level

No, for sure. But you can understand her frustration. The LTA should certainly be more parental than judicial. One mistake should be punished but not by the complete withdrawel of funding. These guys are clearly dedicating their lives to the sport and the LTA should back them up.

Incidently, (and I'm about to demonstrate my poor knowledge) who are the top four at the LTA? Are they ex pros/coaches or professional managers?

indiana · Tennis legend

I found the post from Tara's mother ( it's in this year's Wimbledon girls thread ) :

I always read this site but I have never posted anything until now. I am Tara's mother and your comments are totally unfair since you do not know Tara well enough to make such statements. The facts are that at one time in the past I also thought like you and the NTC also were thinking along the same lines. Yes Tara looks large but the fact is that it's her body type.........The NTC tried to slim her down with strict dieting and gym work, she did loose weight. However the cost of this was very high, she had stomach cramps and irratic menstral problems. NTC doctors could not help. A very upset Tara called and told me this in tears as the pain was unbearable every month.

I quickly realised that the NTC were making the same mistake as I did with her dieting so I immediately told her to drink full fat milk and her body stabalized.

Everyone's body is different. Example Kim Clijsters has said before......She copied Henning to go the the gym and worked heavily but ended up injuring herself. She said she will never do it again as it was a mistake. Another example, Jennifer Capriati. Her whole life she was heavy and lots of people always used to talk about it just like you and were making it a big issue. She openly said that her weight has never been a problem with her tennis career. So before you make a comment you need to review more of her previous matches to get a better overall view of her true performance.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Tara's situation is a complex one.
The LTA withdrew funding this year at a time when Tara was not fully committed to the sport, and her results were showing no progression.
It wasn't until she joined the Gosling crew that things changed in that respect. I certainly would expect the LTA to reintroduce a level of funding come the end of this year. You could also argue that part of the catalyst for Tara's turnaround is the fact that she hasn't been financed.
As for Naomi, following her original problem her father decided the Broady family would go it alone and never accept any future funding from the LTA, clearly incensed by the treatment his daughter had received from the LTA. Both these players do however receive WCs from the LTA.

indiana · Tennis legend

Whatever the truth or otherwise of Tara's commitment at times in the past, from some of what she has said in the last few months she certainly appears pretty driven now.

She made some comments a few months ago, something along the lines about wanting to be recognised up there with Laura and Heather, and I remember commenting well for that to happen the results actually have to be there.

I have to admit the results are starting to come now, and as Steven said consistently too. Certainly heading very much in the right direction and it will be very interesting to follow her future progress.

I remember last December Phil quite bravely putting Tara forward as one of his possible top 300ers by the end of this year, albeit an outside bet. She may not quite make it this year ( though she still certainly could ) but I am sure will in the not too distant future. Win today and she should be up to about the 350 mark when these points get added in, having ended last year at WR 619.

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 22nd of October 2010 11:21:07 AM