Girls: Nike Junior Nationals 2017 (U12/U14/U16/U18) - Week 34

DavidC · Tennis legend

Girls: Nike Junior Nationals 2017 (U12/U14/U16/U18) - Week 34

tharris · Intermediate Club Player

It's hard to see anyone stopping a Ogunwale-Shaw final in the U12s. Alexandra McDonald might crash the party.
A Pineda-Bissett semifinal feels like the de facto U14 final.
In a depleted U16 and U18 draw, it's difficult to pick a favourite. Maybe Erin Richardson in the 16s and Hannah Mccolgan in the 18s?

DavidC · Tennis legend

tharris wrote:
It's hard to see anyone stopping a Ogunwale-Shaw final in the U12s. Alexandra McDonald might crash the party.
A Pineda-Bissett semifinal feels like the de facto U14 final.
In a depleted U16 and U18 draw, it's difficult to pick a favourite. Maybe Erin Richardson in the 16s and Hannah Mccolgan in the 18s?

Look like good predictions so far, with Hannah winning the key clash with Erin in the under 18s today

U18 SF

(6) Hannah McColgan v (ALT) Lillian Mould

(4) Alessandra Ruggieri v Stephanie Booth

U14 SF

(1) Andrea Pineda v (6) Amelia Bissett

(5) Sally Pethybridge v (2) Alicia Dudeney

Mervatron2 · Challenger qualifying

I know I'm not as up to date as I used to be with British juniors but I have never heard of any of the Under 18 SFists.

I miss the days when almost all the top juniors would play this event.

It's sad that some of our top under 14's are now missing. I remember when Heather Watson won the Under 14's .

tharris · Intermediate Club Player

U12s is the only age group that always has all our top players. U14s is a good field, with some notable absences (Fischer, Bilchev, Mutavdzic).
The lack of top players in U16s and U18s really diminishes their value, IMO.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Yes, I agree.
And if three top players are not taking part, the U14s can't really be called a 'good field' either....

As said before: no doubling up and funding based on participation (or, if not directly, then result from the nationals being very heavily weighted in the funding matrix).
No point having 'national championships' if they bear no resemblance to who is really our 'national champion' of tennis going forward.

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

TBH, over the years the LTA has actively discouraged its stars from taking part. Nothing for them to gain... better playing international events and getting points so they can move up the ladder. I can see the logic in that but it misses the benefit to the rest of the players of improving by playing against the better ones. But then the LTA has always been about the very top of the pyramid and the very bottom grass roots and to hell with the middle section!

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The LTA might have a point. If there are good tournaments they'd rather the 'stars' did instead. (Frankly, I don't think so - if the tennis in your country is so weak that there's no point your couple of star players taking part in the nationals, then you have a problem and the federation should look to the root cause).
But in that case, cancel the 'national championships' and run a different tournament. A 'Summer championships', or whatever. It's the mis-match between the name and the reality that is ridiculous (as in making the LTA open to ridicule).

Mervatron2 · Challenger qualifying

Unless i'm mistaken none of the big 3 from the Under 14's are playing this week.

I do understand the reasoning but it just makes these events pointless.

indiana · Tennis legend

Looks like going through the motions of holding "national championships" because that's kinda what countries do, but without evidence of trying to change much to make them worthy of the name ( even remotely so for the older groups ).

Kenneth · Lower Club Player

It is rather strange what the LTA do, actively encourage players to not compete against each other? For me they are concerned about their "chosen Ines" getting beaten by a younger player or one that is not in their elite band. Chasing half way round the world to play a couple of matches at best and lose or compete against your peers? In years to come who will remember getting to QF of an ITF somewhere or being GB champion?

skibbarriz · Strong Club Player

I agree this is the wrong way to do it and have expressed so before. The LTA should encourage all players to compete in the national championship.

tharris · Intermediate Club Player

Mervatron2 wrote:
Unless i'm mistaken none of the big 3 from the Under 14's are playing this week.

I do understand the reasoning but it just makes these events pointless.

I'm assuming Kylie Bilchev is still injured as she hasn't played since giving a walkover to Gemma Heath a few months ago.

Matilda Mutavdzic doesn't seem to play in Britain often, if at all.

As for Holly Fischer, she's obviously too good for U14s, but it would've been nice to see her, Emma Raducanu, Gemma Heath, and Esther Adeshina in the U16s.

DavidC · Tennis legend

Essentially I think that the under 12 Nationals work fine as does the under 14 boys. The under 14 girls is a bit more tricky, because the earlier physical development means top players like Holly, who have already been competitive in top grade under 18 events, wouldn't be interested in anything below that level. Nevertheless there are some years where all our top U14 girls do play. I don't think the under 16s are worth continuing. The under 18 junior nationals is a worthwhile concept though, and to make them more relevant I think they either need to be moved a week earlier, so they do not clash with either the European Summer Cups or US Open preparations, or held indoors just before Christmas. They also need an inducement, like a Wimbledon QWC, now that their status has plummeted.

DavidC · Tennis legend

U18 SF

(ALT) Lillian Mould d. (6) Hannah McColgan 4-6 6-4 7-6(6)
(4) Alessandra Ruggieri d. Stephanie Booth 6-4 6-4

U14 SF

(1) Andrea Pineda d. (6) Amelia Bissett 4-6 6-4 7-6(2)
(2) Alicia Dudeney d. (5) Sally Pethybridge 3-6 6-3 7-6(2)

U16 SF

(1) Erin Richardson v (3) Ellie Aldrich
Indianna Spink v Holly Staff

U12 SF

(1) Jaquelyn Ogunwale v (3) Alexandra McDonald
Romana Bari v (2) Eva Shaw