Junior rankings

indiana · Tennis legend

RE: Junior rankings

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

indiana wrote:

It will be very interesting to see how Katie Swan does when she turns her mind to senior competition.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Katy is one who chooses to go through US uni. As I understand it, her training is currently based at the facilities of her local US uni and she and her family quite like what they see of college tennis.

indiana · Tennis legend

I guess with Katie Swan a lot will depend on how her tennis progresses in the next couple of years, with the better it goes the less likely she is to go the college route.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Alexis moves to GB no.2 at 123, just ahead of Gray and Clarke. Ryan Storrie climbs to 186. Charles Broom jumps to 265

Katie moves 1 place to 32. Emily Appleton climbs to 324

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Great to see some good results (and still on-going) for our 1998-ers this week, in big tournaments.

When the points go on:

Alexis will get 50 points for his G2 semi, which is a net 30 points extra to his total (kicking off a 20). Also, 75 points for his doubles victory, kicking off a 15 and so adding 15 points to his combined total (25% of the difference).

Ewan gets, currently, 80 points for his semi place in a G1 and is still in the fight for more. That's a net extra 70 and will give him a big move up the ranking to (at the moment) somewhere around 125-130

Ryan gets 30 points (net +15 extra).

There's 60 points (net + 40 extra) for Jay Clarke, who is also still in the hunt for more, and will take him right close to the top 100 (even inside?)

At the younger end, there will be a big move for Eliz too.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Some big moves for the boys as predicted. Alexis, Jay, Ewan and a smallish jump for Ryan

Alexis just moves to GB no.1

96 CANTER, Alexis +27 GBR 03 Jun 1998 36 273.75
98 CLARKE, Jay +37 GBR 27 Jul 1998 43 271.25
103 CANNELL, Joel -5 GBR 27 Nov 1997 36 262.50
117 MOORE, Ewan +109 GBR 09 Mar 1998 20 246.25
138 GRAY, JONATHAN -13 GBR 09 Apr 1997 41 230.00
167 STORRIE, Ryan James +19 GBR 28 Feb 1998 16 203.75
223 WALTERS, Marcus -8 GBR 03 Apr 1998 27 161.25
225 MACFARLANE, Jack -9 GBR 06 Dec 1997 30 161.25
265 BENNETT, Daniel -8 GBR 27 Feb 1998 23 141.25
274 BROOM, Charles -9 GBR 24 Apr 1998 27 140.00
280 BUTLER, Sebastien -6 GBR 06 May 1997 27 137.50
306 BASS, Finn -5 GBR 09 Oct 1999 28 128.75
308 STEWART, Max -5 GBR 05 Jan 1999 27 128.75
309 OAKLEY, Luke -5 GBR 29 May 1997 21 128.75
328 RECCI, Mason -1 GBR 23 Jan 1997 28 121.25
337 FOLEY, Piers -1 GBR 15 Jan 1998 20 118.75
357 HAMMOND, Luke -1 GBR 08 Dec 1998 21 112.50
372 LITTLE, Daniel -88 GBR 16 May 1997 11 107.50
386 SMITH, Barnaby -6 GBR 04 May 1999 19 103.75
415 PERRIN, Lawrence -6 GBR 09 Feb 1998 28 96.25
424 WRIGHT, Thomas -8 GBR 14 Nov 1998 18 93.75
434 MCGEEHAN, Freddie -59 GBR 01 Jun 1997 19 90.00
439 DRAPER, Ben -7 GBR 19 Oct 1998 22 88.75
478 MOLLOY, Jack -5 GBR 22 Jul 1999 18 80.00
500 TAYLOR, LUCAS -12 GBR 06 Jan 1997 26 77.50

For the girls, jumps in the rankings for Georgina and Georgia

32 SWAN, Katie 0 GBR 24 Mar 1999 29 556.25
45 LUMSDEN, Maia +2 GBR 10 Jan 1998 29 468.13
46 TAYLOR, Gabriella +2 GBR 07 Mar 1998 32 465.00
88 CHRISTIE, Freya 0 GBR 08 Nov 1997 25 346.25
95 ARBUTHNOTT, Emily -2 GBR 03 Oct 1997 34 340.00
111 ASGHAR, Jasmine Amber -3 GBR 08 Sep 1997 21 296.25
117 MIKHEEVA, Anastasia -2 GBR 28 May 1999 30 277.50
147 RICHARDSON, Eden -17 GBR 03 Sep 1998 24 235.00
148 LAZIC, Ema -5 GBR 28 Dec 1998 30 235.00
166 BURRAGE, Jodie Anna -7 GBR 28 May 1999 30 218.75
180 BROGAN, Anna -4 GBR 04 Aug 1997 26 207.50
184 AXON, Georgina +15 GBR 26 May 1999 35 206.25
209 NJOZE, Mirabelle -3 GBR 05 Feb 1997 18 191.25
255 HUTCHINSON, Holly -8 GBR 11 Sep 1997 24 171.25
300 LAWSON, Georgia +97 GBR 06 Oct 1998 37 145.00
332 APPLETON, Emily -8 GBR 01 Sep 1999 26 137.50
419 DAVIES, Megan -5 GBR 02 Mar 1999 18 110.00
434 JOHN-BAPTISTE, Lauryn -4 GBR 26 Jul 1999 17 105.00
477 WEYMOUTH, Katarina -4 GBR 17 May 1997 21 93.75

indiana · Tennis legend

Good that Alexis, Jay, Ewan and Ryan are all '98s and for now still just 16. Some real signs of life in the junior boys !

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

It's strange how we go in cycles with our juniors and that it's either the girls or the boys who shine and never usually both the same time (ranking wise) girls have been on top since the end of the Edmund, Broady, Golding era, and before then it was Laura and Heather.

paulisi · Tennis legend

98 CLARKE, Jay -7 GBR 27 Jul 1998 43 281.25
105 CANTER, Alexis -5 GBR 03 Jun 1998 34 272.50
121 CANNELL, Joel -14 GBR 27 Nov 1997 34 252.50
128 MOORE, Ewan -3 GBR 09 Mar 1998 20 246.25
146 GRAY, JONATHAN -5 GBR 09 Apr 1997 41 230.00
172 STORRIE, Ryan James -6 GBR 28 Feb 1998 16 203.75
233 WALTERS, Marcus -9 GBR 03 Apr 1998 27 161.25
234 MACFARLANE, Jack -7 GBR 06 Dec 1997 32 161.25
278 BENNETT, Daniel -8 GBR 27 Feb 1998 23 141.25
285 BROOM, Charles -7 GBR 24 Apr 1998 27 140.00
291 BUTLER, Sebastien -7 GBR 06 May 1997 25 137.50
311 BASS, Finn -2 GBR 09 Oct 1999 28 128.75
313 STEWART, Max -1 GBR 05 Jan 1999 27 128.75
314 OAKLEY, Luke -1 GBR 29 May 1997 19 128.75
328 MOLLOY, Jack +153 GBR 22 Jul 1999 20 122.50
332 RECCI, Mason +2 GBR 23 Jan 1997 26 121.25
333 FOLEY, Piers +10 GBR 15 Jan 1998 22 121.25
362 HAMMOND, Luke 0 GBR 08 Dec 1998 21 112.50
393 SMITH, Barnaby -4 GBR 04 May 1999 19 103.75
427 PERRIN, Lawrence -7 GBR 09 Feb 1998 26 96.25
437 WRIGHT, Thomas -6 GBR 14 Nov 1998 18 93.75
451 DRAPER, Ben -9 GBR 19 Oct 1998 22 88.75
484 TAYLOR, LUCAS +19 GBR 06 Jan 1997 26 81.25

13 SWAN, Katie +18 GBR 24 Mar 1999 33 782.50
49 LUMSDEN, Maia -5 GBR 10 Jan 1998 31 471.88
72 TAYLOR, Gabriella -26 GBR 07 Mar 1998 30 392.50
85 ARBUTHNOTT, Emily +7 GBR 03 Oct 1997 36 357.50
94 CHRISTIE, Freya -1 GBR 08 Nov 1997 23 340.00
115 MIKHEEVA, Anastasia 0 GBR 28 May 1999 29 277.50
153 ASGHAR, Jasmine Amber -45 GBR 08 Sep 1997 19 236.25
156 LAZIC, Ema -7 GBR 28 Dec 1998 30 235.00
159 BURRAGE, Jodie Anna +4 GBR 28 May 1999 31 228.75
180 RICHARDSON, Eden -5 GBR 03 Sep 1998 24 210.00
184 BROGAN, Anna -6 GBR 04 Aug 1997 24 207.50
189 AXON, Georgina -6 GBR 26 May 1999 33 206.25
212 NJOZE, Mirabelle -1 GBR 05 Feb 1997 18 191.25
257 HUTCHINSON, Holly -1 GBR 11 Sep 1997 24 170.00
276 LAWSON, Georgia -9 GBR 06 Oct 1998 37 160.00
340 APPLETON, Emily -7 GBR 01 Sep 1999 26 137.50
426 DAVIES, Megan -5 GBR 02 Mar 1999 18 110.00
440 JOHN-BAPTISTE, Lauryn -2 GBR 26 Jul 1999 17 105.00
489 WEYMOUTH, Katarina -8 GBR 17 May 1997 21 93.75

Oakland2002 · All-time great

The Gruniard slightly upset me on Sunday in its piece on Katie Swan, her fantastic performance last week was acknowledge but followed by the suggestion that the cupboard was otherwise bare. As indie pointed out the 16 yr old boys look a fairly solid group and we have 5 15 yr old girls in the top 200. Lazy reporting?

korriban · Challenger level

Oakland2002 wrote:
The Gruniard slightly upset me on Sunday in its piece on Katie Swan, her fantastic performance last week was acknowledge but followed by the suggestion that the cupboard was otherwise bare. As indie pointed out the 16 yr old boys look a fairly solid group and we have 5 15 yr old girls in the top 200. Lazy reporting?

Solid if unspectacular on the boys side. More depth on the girls side, but Katie Swan aside no obvious world beaters. Having said that this time 18 months ago one could have lumped Swan, Axon, Burrage and Mikheeva as similar age, similar ranking, similar potential, so things can change rapidly. The fact that Katie went to the USA and changed coaching set up may be critical to her relative progression, or it could be a red herring.

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

If The Guardian judged the strength of upcoming juniors on JWRs, probably fair to say no-one close to Katy S, but that's an unrealistic way to look at things. Freya C, Mirabelle N and Gabbi T are all a fair way down the list in juniors but have significant wins in women's tennis. Katie also standing out amongst her year group at the moment because she is a big, strong athletic girl who has been able to start strength work in the gym much earlier than her peers whose bodies wold not have been ready.

The size aspect is also significant in the boys, Finn Bass for example at 14 was beefier than many 17 yo players and thus able to make inroads into the ITF more quickly than other talented players his age. These things even out in time.

I think Korri that Katy's move to the USA is a significant factor in her rapid improvement in the last couple of years. Away from the rather inward looking junior tennis scene here and in a school system which fits around sport much better and indeed positively embraces it.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The overwhelming problem with junior tennis here, from where I see it, is the lack of depth in general. It's a chicken and egg thing so I'm not berating the LTA, just stating.

Individual coaching is used very sparingly now in Europe (don't know about the US). It's all based around group work; girls, in particular, studies indicate, respond and progress way better in group training sessions.

But, of course, you need to right level groups. In the local area. The idea is also to mix up the groups so you are in one weekly group where you are the best player, say, and one group where you're the worst. So a talented 13 year-old will probably be in one group with girls her age, that she 'wins', and another with a couple of similar tennis level 15 year-olds who are just slightly better, being stronger. For the very top players, the group become more fixed, but still all based round a group of simiilar level players. There are also a huge number of good adult players so clubs will mix that in too, for experience and to change things around (and the kids will be playing competitive adult team tennis half the year).

The problem here seems to be that there are so few players, overall, in any one area, that there's no synergies, no chance of group momentum, no way to mix it up. A couple of the top specialist places seem to have managed something along the same lines but I'm talking all the way down, and country-wide.

Which is why I have some sympathy for the LTA's (supposed) policy of not supporting top players who choose to go to foreign academies - the knock-on effect if they stay in Britain is really important (although you jeopardise their own actual development, maybe). Tricky . . .

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

This is why the HPC system hasn't really produced as envisaged. With a few exceptions (Bath, Nottingham, Goslings), the players have been so thinly spread across the different centres that any proper training structure has been practically impossible for the centres to achieve. It is a particularly acute situation for girls. This is even though most promising or keen juniors train via an HPC in some way.

I think one reason that it has been hard for the centres to build up numbers is that they have no 'club' element. Full time junior players pay an annual fee as a rule but all other juniors pay based on an hourly rate (even if signing for a whole term). They turn up, do their squad and go home. Once players realise they're not the next Nadal or Sharapova they leave the (expensive) HPC and usually stop tennis altogether. Unlike countries where junior tennis is mainly in clubs, HPCs are only about performance tennis and not about participation in the sport in general. In a club culture, these kids (and let's face it most are not heading to the pro ranks) would still be playing, competing at their own level, and providing a range of standards for the new hopefuls to practice with, as well as a more sociable atmosphere.

With regard to Katy S in particular, I think the majority of her coaching in the States is on an individual basis utilising hitting partners from the student body.

Spectator · All-time great

Kansas must have something going for it. Didn't Jack Sock spend his whole time there - including compiling an undefeated record in playing for his secondary school (even after he'd won the USO Juniors) until he graduated?