The COSAT circuit in Latin America starts with some G1 events in January and ends with a mixture of G1/GA events in March, but February has some weaker G2s. This one in Chile is no exception, with the second seed ranked 145, and hoping to take advantage are Fran Jones and Emily Appleton
The Peruvian numbers 1 and 2 provide quarter-final opposition, which should prove tougher than the early rounds. Dominique was a finalist here last year and reached a G1 final last month.
QF
(1) Dominique Schaefer (PER) v (8) Emily Appleton
(5) Francesca Jones v (4) Anastasia Iamachkine (PER)
I'm not sure what the plan is, but I assume Emily is pushing to get her junior ranking inside the top 50, which she is capable and qualify for junior slams, rather than playing main tour regularly.
I can see her having two or three very good weeks.
Currently JWR 252. Will climb at least 50 places this week and I suspect more which another grade 2 and two grade 1's to come.
Given her superb GCSEs last summer, I assume she has moved on to A levels and will have to juggle her tennis with her studies (only an assumption).
But she's managed to do that very successfully up till now so no reason it shouldn't continue.
However, it makes out and out focus on getting that junior ranking up more tricky.
And, given her father's story, I've never got the impression that it was her main aim. She'll get a wildcard for Wimbly juniors this year, I'd have thought.
Pretty sure that playing the main tour regularly is not in her plans at the moment.
Am I right in thinking AS exams in Year 12 have now been phased out? If so, Emily has a bit more breathing space this academic year to play these junior tournaments and hopefully really leap up the rankings; very nice start here :)