The criticism is harsh on Dasha. Yes - she will pick up some cheap points in Egypt, but we have sent this in other weak tournaments(Oman, Israel etc of the top of my head). However Dasha must have some ability to get inside the top 600. For that level you need to win matches regularly. I've never seen her play live, so unable to guess at her standard/ability.
I have seen Dasha play on clay in Edinburgh about three years ago she has no big shots in her armoury and in my view will never crack top 500
Yes, I'd go with this All credit for trying, and Aesop and his tortoise and the hare and all that . . .
But overall I agree with Scottie and Jaggy - don;t know Dasha very well but know Laura D, say, and other foreign players with a similar profile and there is nothing too difficult about getting a dozen or so ranking points if you dedicate a full year to doing so. I don't mean anyone could do it but simply that it's not a sign of promise or talent.
One British coach said recently he was amazed at the how low the level was in some of the women's 10ks - barely any better than the British Tour events. And I know most French coaches disregard any ranking below 600 or so as irrelevant (especially if got over a whole year - it might be a sign of quality if it was got from only two or three tournaments, say).
Not knocking them for trying and they've got my full support. And age is important - 20 and 21 is still young. But no unranked player is going to be scared of them in the draw . . .
Sorry, Strongbow, but Dasha generally is not winning tennis matches ( or just occasionaly and decreasingly so at a relatively poor level ) and ultimately that will decide her ranking irrespective of whether she's defending points or not, that just has to do with the short term movement.
I have nothing against Dasha at all and if she is happy doing what she is doing and not taking, who are we to critice her choices. But she shows little prospect of getting anywhere at all significant in the tennis world, at least in her personal rankings / progress.
Re Laura, I like how she has steadily become increasingly competitive and has clearly slowly but surely been increasingly her level. Yes, I suspect limitations to how high she can get and that may well be below top 500 level. But I have seen her at times, to my mind unfairly, lumped in with others well below the level she has shown.
Sabrina B, who is one that particularly sprung to my mund of Laura being unfairly lumped in with, really struggled for a significant time.
All the best to them all in being all they can be and / or being happy in themselves.
Srongbow, I'm not knocking it at all. They've got my every support. And if Laura D has had a wrist injury then that is a big factor, obviously (although are you sure we're talking about the same Laura, Oakie?)
But Laura D got a couple of really lucky draws last autumn (from which, all credit to her, she took advantage). But it was hardly major victories as such. And having seen her play twice this year I was not impressed.
But that counts for nothing, it's just the opinion of one person in 8 billion. And she may well get to WR 700 or even within. As said, if you're fit and devote a whole year to it, that's quite feasible. She may well get to WR 500 in her career - statistically, given where she is now, she certainly should. So good luck to her (and Dasha and the others too).
PS Laura going well in Israel at the moment Up a break !
-- Edited by Coup Droit on Thursday 14th of May 2015 08:39:35 AM