R1: Hepburn/Phillips (GBR) def. Ghodrati/Harrington (GBR) 6-1 0-6 [10-6]
R1: Weymouth/Miyazaki (GBR/JPN) lost to Anderson/Bai (USA/AUS) [4] 6(2) & 4
R1: Murray/Taylor (GBR) lost to Caregaro/Mrdeza (ITA/CRO) w/o
R1: Pitak/Pitak (GBR) lost to Pella/Reix (ARG/FRA) [3] 1 & 2
R1: Dunne/Dart (GBR) def. Grey/Terziyska (GBR/BUL) 1 & 6(3)
R1: Appleton/Arbuthnott (GBR) def. Kostova/Zarazua (BUL/MEX) [2] w/o

QF: Dunne/Dart (GBR) v. Appleton/Arbuthnott (GBR)
QF: Hepburn/Phillips (GBR) v. Mestach/Sanchez (BEL/USA) [1]

Another very enjoyable day at Surbiton yesterday - I meant to only stay until about 3 to catch Jonny, Sam v Gabi and Dan but ended up missing most of Jonny's match due to train delays on the way from Croydon to Clapham Junction (though at least I managed my own version of 'bat the Frat' by getting from the station to the venue before the American had actually won!) and then ended up staying past 8 again, partly because there were some interesting matches on the outside courts following the delayed start there and partly because there were lots of people worth talking to

Any silly hopes that wearing a less bright T-shirt might restore my anonymity were quickly blown away when Katy's mum recognised me before I'd even got there but actually, being recognised is not so bad - I seem to be ending up having a greater number of interesting conversations than I otherwise would have had as a result and when a Twitter follower tweeted me today that they were there, it was very useful that at least one of us knew what the other one looked like

It was wonderful to see Sam Murray playing so well - I hadn't realised that she had already got her level back up that far and apparently nor had quite a few other people because Gabi shaded a quick straw poll I did on Twitter at the start of the match. I know Sam wasn't playing a high-ranked player, but Gabi was pretty solid today (until she got a bit frustrated in the 2nd set, but that was almost inevitable under the circumstances), nothing at all to be ashamed of, and in form judging by her R1 result, but Sam just looked so comfortable on court - good serving, excellent volleying, etc. Indeed, an unfortunate air smash and the mild wobble in her final service game just highlighted by contrast how well she was playing the rest of the time.

I then watched Dan (see the Challenger thread) before getting a first look at Emily Appleton. The result was never in doubt but Emily played much better than the 0 & 2 scoreline suggests, particularly in the 2nd set. She looks ready for adult tennis and actually looks quite imposing, in a good way - fit but not slight, if you see what I mean. Oudin just had too much guile and experience (she is a former US Open quarter-finalist and former WR 31, after all) and was more accurate than I imagine she usually is given her current ranking (and the amount of hair-tearing by Americans on Twitter that I remember during some of her matches in the past!), but that was probably helped by the fact that Emily isn't quite good enough yet to have put her under really serious pressure.

I was going to leave after that but then Katy & Harriet v Beth & Bulgarian resumed on the same court, Katy smiled at me and I thought, I can't leave now (I'm so easy! LOL) and it'll be quick anyway (the 1st set the previous day had finished 6-1) but actually Beth played well and it went to a tiebreak. It was all good though - Katy's coach (Richard Hawkes, new since last summer) said hello and I got to have a chat with him, which was fun - he's young, friendly, very supportive in an understated way that probably makes him particularly well-suited to coaching an up-and-coming female player and the things he says he is working on with her (I don't want to put people like that off talking to me so I'm going to err on the side of caution and not go into any more detail on an open forum) make a lot of sense.

I'd been half-watching the Skupskis v Luke & Joe match too (it was on the adjacent court) so then had a more concentrated look at that. Joe Salisbury seemed to be having a particularly good match (unless his best bits all came when I just happened to look over!) but the defending champions ran out the winners.

On a last walk around the courts, I noticed Sam Murray and her coach Dave Sammel, so I said well done to Sam and how good it was for GB fans to have her back. Now, I'm wary of wasting players' time when they might be trying to collect their thoughts or get away to do something more useful (and of seeming like a boring old fart to 20-something players!) so I rarely say more than a well done or bad luck to them unless they actually seem to want to talk a bit more, but I hung back to introduce myself to Dave, who has tweeted me a few times (turned out he had already worked out who I was - that anonymity thing was never very effective, obviously!) and just got chatting to Sam in the meantime.

She's very nice, looks very fit and trim up close, comes across as mature and intelligent (hardly a surprise, obviously) and seems in a good place - content with her progress since injury so far but still aware that there are plenty of improvements to make. I hadn't even realised she was one of the players who follows me on Twitter but she said my tweets were one of the main things she used to keep herself up to date with how everyone was doing while she was out of action and that she sometimes gets reminded that she has played opponents before even when she has completely forgotten having ever done so - it's always fun to hear things like that, which add to the reasons why all this still seems worthwhile.

Dave is irrepressible - very talkative and enthusiastic. He gave me a copy of his book too (whisper it, but I think he gives lots of people copies of his book , though I had actually bought it on Kindle and read most of it already!), scribbled something inside and when I looked at it later, it was a kind message about appreciating what I do for the players and hoping I can continue, which could easily be extended to what lots of people on this forum do too. It seems like many of the players really do appreciate both some of the info and, particularly at the lower levels, their successes getting noticed by those outside their immediate bubble and I could repeat the last phrase of the previous paragraph here too!

Bob has had a few mentions too - in particular, someone I met on Tuesday (someone who follows the forum and Twitter without being registered on either and who came up and introduced himself after recognising me from Katy's pic) and had a long, interesting conversation with during the rain delay, was very impressed with the way Bob helped Billy out in Spain, well able to imagine how much that kind of simple but valuable support from a stranger must mean to a player at that level.

I could write a lot more but a) you're probably getting very bored if you've managed to read this far and b) I have work to do and sleep to catch up on

ditto

Yep, great report Steven, thanks, and the hard yards (miles in fact) that you put in are appreciated by all of us on here too; and to hear first hand how much it is appreciated by the players must be hugely encouraging; and richly deserved :D

Hear, hear.

Sam is an early break up - go Sam !

First set to to Melanie Oudin vs Sam 7-5