I think most of us assumed she was focusing on doubles really, but she didn't quite pull off a few wins in WTA events that she probably should have done over the 2016 season (I can think of 4 straight away which would have been worth 240 points instead of 4), which meant her ranking stayed at 210 rather than moving back up inside the top 150.

With the ITF schedule as it is, she's in a wee bit of a no mans land really, as her doubles ranking now isn't high enough to sneak into WTAs, but her singles rank is too low to play anything other than $15ks (where even if she was winning the titles in Sharm every week her doubles ranking wouldn't be moving).

I still think she could finish her career as a top 100 doubles player (when you look at players like Marazova and Dzalamidze doing it there's no reason Em can't!), but the pathway to doing so is harder now, especially with the advanced WTA entry for doubles and changes to on-site acceptances making all the fields stronger.

Her singles results have been a big surprise so far this year (she's won more matches than she did in all of 2016 already I think), maybe she thinks she can get high enough to be in the running come the grass (via pre-qualies)?

Though I see she's going to a $60k in Istanbul in a couple of weeks (outside the single cut), and will presumably play the high challengers in the Far East in May. If she teams up with someone like Lykina through that swing she can hopefully do well (she has a chunk of points to defend though).

Coup Droit wrote:

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But Em's had relatively few injuries compared to many. (And not counting pouring boiling water down your leg !) Long may it continue.

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In the past few years yes, but she was pretty much permanently injured between 2002 and 2010 leading to her having to take various periods out or play through issues. She broke her ankle on court in 2002, and had to have multiple follow-up surgeries between 2003 and 2006, got septicaemia which kept her out for months (and stranded in Oz not allowed to fly home), had a bad wrist injury in 2009 etc...

From 2010 she had a good clear run which got her up to top 250 in 2011, and has largely been ok since, other than the odd niggle from time to time which she's been able to manage with short bursts of treatment and painkillers.

Em starts by racing out to 0-40.... deuce

2 more break points come and go. Here's number 6...

*1-0

Saves break point, holds with her 6th ace, and breaks to 30

*5-2

Laura & Suzy concede the first set of their doubles SF, 3-6 *0-1

Saves one break point but not the second

*0-3

Broken for a second time

1-5*

breaks back

3-5*

and again

*4-5

Digs out a 15-30 hole

*5-5

Czarnik holds to 15, obviously

*5-6