Week 4 - ITF ($10K) - Preston, UK Hard

Peter too · Tennis legend

RE: Week 4 - ITF ($10K) - Preston, UK Hard

PockyTastic · Futures level

Baby steps forward for Mel. I'm a bit shocked by Sam's result but maybe rustiness is to blame? Or maybe Moratelli put in a good performance.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

Not a great tournament for the Brits overall, but really pleased to see how well Tara has started 2013 and she has a good chance of back to back tournament wins.

briteny · Intermediate Club Player

what is the problem of Mel today? Does anybody know?

indiana · Tennis legend

Well, Mel was injured and it is still very early season. On the other hand one could speculate as to what has been wrong with Mel for some time.

Disappointing result from Sam. Another British woman that hopefully has just been shaking off rustiness this week.

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

I know Mel made it to 99 but I never really got the feeling she was that good. Sometimes players rankings are determined on where they gain points. Mel has only ever been a 200 ranked ability in my opinion. I would rate Lisa in the same bracket. Tara and Sam 100-200. We are lucky to have Laura and Heather but I cant see us having another top 100 player for the next 4 or 5 years until hopefully Harriet and the two Katies but that may also be ambitious.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Jaggy1876 wrote:
I know Mel made it to 99 but I never really got the feeling she was that good. Sometimes players rankings are determined on where they gain points. Mel has only ever been a 200 ranked ability in my opinion. I would rate Lisa in the same bracket. Tara and Sam 100-200. We are lucky to have Laura and Heather but I cant see us having another top 100 player for the next 4 or 5 years until hopefully Harriet and the two Katies but that may also be ambitious.

Jo Ko has the talent to make top 100, but there seems to be a big gulf in class and depth after Sam and Tara. Agree about Mel and always thought she should have been a top 50 double player.

Peter too · Tennis legend

Moore/South (1) v Brown/Moratelli (4) 6-2 *1-0

SMC1809 · All-time great

briteny wrote:
what is the problem of Mel today? Does anybody know?

Why would there be something wrong with Mel?

Peter too · Tennis legend

SF:Moore/South 1 beat Brown/Moratelli 4 6-2 6-2
SF:Murray/Windley 3 beat Ejdesgaard/Fitzpatrick 2 6-1 6-3

steven · Tennis legend

SMC1809 wrote:
briteny wrote:
what is the problem of Mel today? Does anybody know?
Why would there be something wrong with Mel?

Other results (and Twitter) this week would suggest Océane is a precocious, hard-hitting 16-year-old capable of upsetting just about anyone at this level - Mel at least took her to 3 close sets. Not great c.f. Mel at her best, obviously, but not massively out of line with her recent form.

Btw, I imagine this must be the first time Tara has been the *oldest* semi-finalist in a senior ITF!

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

steven wrote:
Btw, I imagine this must be the first time Tara has been the *oldest* semi-finalist in a senior ITF!

True, though Tara was the second oldest semi-finalist at the Sunderland 10k in 2008 at 16, where Samantha Vickers was the oldest at 17 and Laura won the event at 14 (still her only title to date amazingly)

steven · Tennis legend

tony_orient wrote:
steven wrote:
Btw, I imagine this must be the first time Tara has been the *oldest* semi-finalist in a senior ITF!
True, though Tara was the second oldest semi-finalist at the Sunderland 10k in 2008 at 16, where Samantha Vickers was the oldest at 17 and Laura won the event at 14 (still her only title to date amazingly)

Ah, well remembered - I should have realised she must have played at tournaments with Laura (and indeed Heather) taking part too.

RBBOT · Futures qualifying

True, though Tara was the second oldest semi-finalist at the Sunderland 10k in 2008 at 16, where Samantha Vickers was the oldest at 17 and Laura won the event at 14 (still her only title to date amazingly)

Not winning as your climb the rankings isn't that unusual as you enter progressively tougher tournaments. One of the more extreme examples: Steffi Graf was world No. 3 when she won her first title.

-- Edited by RBBOT on Saturday 26th of January 2013 10:48:27 AM

steven · Tennis legend

SF: MOORE, Tara (GBR) 2 266 beat DODIN, Oceane (FRA) 770 by w/o

Tara: "Got a walkover today :( was looking forward to playing! But 4th final of 2013! #BRINGIT"