The LTA planning grids for tournaments up to August 2011 are available online. They are increasing the number of BT events, and compared to the same period in 2010 there will be one additional womens' Pro Series event. The breakdown for 2011 (up to August, can't find info beyond that) will be as follows:
January: 10ks in Glasgow & Wrexham in consecutive weeks, as 2010.
February: 25k in Sutton, as 2010.
March: 2 10ks in Bath in consecutive weeks (losing 25k in Jersey).
April: start of 3 consecutive 10ks in last week, no locations yet, presumably clay.
Grass season: 75k Aegon trophy (cf. 50k this year) starting 30/5 followed by 100k starting 6/6. This is Birmingham week - has it been downgraded?
Post-Grass: just as this season, 2x 25ks followed by a 10k in consecutive weeks.
Thus the total breakdown will be 1x 100k, 1x 75k, 3x 25k, 9x 10k. Which seems a fair balance, though losing Jersey as a 25k is a bit of a blow (far better use of money than upgrading Nottingham, surely - we didn't exactly take huge points there other than Bally).
I'd be surprised if Birmingham is downgraded - there isn't exactly a surplus of grass WTA tournaments. A 100K the week before would be popular with the players participating in Wimbledon qualies.
Scarily, the company that make the content management system the LTA uses use the LTA site in demonstrations to potential customers when trying to show how good their product is.
Personally I think two big grass court tournies in one week is wasteful. I'd rather spend the 100k on 4 more 25ks, especially womens' grass events which were bizzarely missed off this year.
I don't personally have a problem with ending the grass court season with Wimby, the two hard court events which followed Wimby this year were quite successful, especially Wrexham which I went to watch. Unfortunately the grass court season is too short but that is something we just have to live with. I somehow don't think that will change because the clay surface is so popular.
Edgbaston is on the WTA tournament calendar for 2011, clashes with the Wozniacki tournament in Copenhagen. Ideally I suppose another European country should host a grass court event at the same time as Edgbaston.
Personally I think two big grass court tournies in one week is wasteful. I'd rather spend the 100k on 4 more 25ks, especially womens' grass events which were bizzarely missed off this year.
Thanks for the link - looking at the mens (although it still says 2010 at the top!) it seems Jersey Challenger in March has moved to Bath for 2011
As I read this, on the mens side there is another challenger (64k+H) listed after Nottingham, the same week as Queens. Is that right does anybody know? I haven't heard anything of that elsewhere to date.
Ah, turns out Bath will have a 10k followed by a 25k according to ITF, which is a bit odd but should keep costs down for British players, so that's good.
As I read this, on the mens side there is another challenger (64k+H) listed after Nottingham, the same week as Queens. Is that right does anybody know? I haven't heard anything of that elsewhere to date.
Another quick look at these lists reads to me, a 64k+H foor the men when Queens is on, and the same week, a 100k for the ladies when Birmingham is on.
I am misunderstanding this? If there are additional events taking place, anybody any idea where?
