Mirabelle has also just won the money tournament at Cannes, coming in as the number three seed, and winning all four matches in straight sets, including against two Chinese girls.

Intermediary rankings were released last week (there are two mid-year ranking releases - players can only be upgraded, never downgraded),, and Mirabelle has been upgraded one ranking division, which is quite a big deal by the time you get to top end of the pyramid.

Div 1 French league tennis is about to start.

This is not the main league tennis that takes place in spring but the elite, top end.

There's 1ere Div, with two pools of 6 teams each (each team lists about 10 players).

DN1A (next down) also has 2 pools of 6.

(DN1B, div 2, div 3 and div 4 all take place in spring).


As far as British interest in the men's goes, the only Brit inscribed is James Ward, in 1ere Div, playing for Lille as number three player behind Goffin and Sijsling. (Of course, there's no guarantee he'll play)

(Bedene is also down in another team).


Just out of interest, practically half the players listed are foreign.


In the women's, the 1ere div has 2 pools of 5 teams and DN1A has 2 pools of 6 teams.

In DN1A, Naomi Broady, Tara Moore and Lisa Whybourn are all listed in the Clermont-Ferand team (Naomi as joint number one with Magda Linette, Tara as joint third).


Matches start next Sunday for the women in DN1A, the Saturday after for the men.

Born2WinTennis wrote:

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Again this is a very interesting post, I had no idea that such a high quality french club league existed. How is it all funded? Do the clubs pay the players or the french tennis federation? Do people pay to watch? I assume it is in Aegon Team Tennis format, four singles and two doubles.

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The clubs pay a team inscription fee (about 15-20 euros) to the federation. Winning clubs win a trophy, and promotion. Not usually money. It's the federation that organises everything - dates, draws, groups etc.

99% of the players don't get paid. (Don't know if that's the right number but what I mean is league tennis goes right down to unranked and 10.2 equivalent players, with more and more clubs at each level down, so the vast majority of players don't get paid anything. And even some of the top ones don't now.

Players may well get expenses for the day from their club (petrol, coffee etc.). Some also get 'payments-in-kind' - free membership (worth maybe 300 euros) or just free licence (worth 20 euros).

It's the clubs that pay though, when players do get paid. (Most get some sponsorship to help - either from important local companies/industry or the local sports council/whatever).

The key thing is that players want to play. It's not for the money. Team tennis is hugely important. Great atmosphere, fun day out, high profile etc. etc. And, from a selfish point of view (and equally important to many), it's a way of players getting 'free' matches for their ranking. 

Format depends. 4 singles and 2 doubles is standard for the men's. At one time top elite men's was 5 singles and 2 doubles. Lower down it's 4 singles and 1 doubles (especially in the women's). 

NB Anyone from about 12 to 80 can play. Junior tennis and Seniors do have thier own leagues too - organised the same way, county, then regional, then national. Juniors is divided into 2 year age ranges and play 2 singles and a doubles. Seniors is 10 year age ranges as of 35 and then 5 year as of 60 (I think). 3 singles and a doubles for the 'younger' ones, 2 singles and a doubles for the 'older' ones.

Nobody pays to watch. (Bar receipts tend to be quite good though!).

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Thursday 6th of November 2014 11:12:02 AM

No, it's not an all year league. Most of the classic adult league stuff plays in spring (about 5 matches). Junior and Senior league tennis takes place in autumn/winter.

But there are also other team competitions that operate very similarly (most aimed at unranked up to about 3.2/3.1 equivalent, i.e. not the very, very top, but everyone else). Some are just county. Some feed through to a regional level. There are some straight knock-out team competitions too. So, effectively, there is team tennis throughout the year.

Although, it depends how big your club is, how many courts etc. (especially indoor ones for winter) as this determines how many teams they can enter i.e. one men's, one women's team, might be all that most clubs can feasibly enter in winter (given the juniors and seniors playing too). Therefore, there's not always space for everyone who wants to play team tennis. (Come spring, though, most clubs will enter several men's teams and one if not two women's teams so there's space for all then).

Yes, the French ranking is the domestic one. As all individual tournaments have progressive draws, it determines where you come in (as well as seeding) i.e. you might come straight in at the semis. (Unlike the British Tour events where it determines seeding but everyone starts in round one). ALso, determines playing order for team matches. And gives 'bargaining power' for players shopping around to change clubs etc.

Yeh, and halelujah and all that - Naomi won a match :) And a very good one too !!!


Naomi Broady (playing number 1) def. Paula Kania WR 158 6-3 6-4


She lost her doubles match in a MTB but her team won 4-2

That's got to be her best result for yonks . . .


Nik Slater, playing with Pavlovic, unfortunately lost the doubles and the team lost 1-5.

Great photo, though, of her last week in the 'team car', treking across France with he 'dream team':

La "dream team" (minus 2 ) we may go a little crazy after a long day of match and 5 and a half instagram.com/p/vVcjHhFSHR/

I just responded to a post by David Sammel on the facebook British Tennis Coaches Forum. He says "routinely players in Europe earn 10k+ in the high divisions. Some clubs in lower divisions pay 500-1000 per match."

So:

Britain: Aegon Team Tennis - where the aegon provided prize pool is £100k + any sponsorship clubs can attract. Players get £150/match-ish at the top level.

vs

Europe: Where they can afford to pay players £10k/match!

Wow what a difference.

Naomi seemingly not playing this week but Tara showed up, and marked up two decent wins


Tara def. Laura Andrei (ROM) WR 608, CH 280 in July 2013


She also won her doubles, 6-3 6-4, and the team won 6-0.

Pleased for her - from recollection, she had a pretty torrid time last year in team tennis, and any wins are always welcome - must have been a nice atmosphere with them all winning.


Unfortunately, Nik Slater lost her doubles match 6-4 7-6, and the team lost 2-4