Week 48 - ITF ($15K) - Manta, Ecuador Hard

Peter too · Tennis legend

Week 48 - ITF ($15K) - Manta, Ecuador Hard

Mervatron2 · Challenger qualifying

Tough draw

Michael D · All-time great

Interesting Emily's choice of doubles partner this week, since both partners she has won doubles titles with in recent weeks are playing here again. This week she is back with her first partner, Maria Fernanda Herazo Gonzalez, the Columbian who is also (again) the #1 singles seed. And this week the pair are also the #1 doubles seeds.

Emily's other winning partner, the Mexican Maria Jose Portillo Ramirez, who Emily described as her friend, is also playing, though reached the singles main draw as a qualifier - albeit without playing a match. In the doubles Maria Jose is partnering this week with Emily's first round singles opponent Sofia Sewing.... So I can imagine the swirls around all this, just as long as Emily is good at maintaining relationships smile

Priesty · Challenger level

Yes, it might create some needle between Em and her opponent wink

blob · All-time great

Proving every bit as difficult as it looked on paper; ~7 points per game; Emily yet to make any impression on the American serve, or fashion a a BP, 3-4*

Michael D · All-time great

Well indeed Maria Jose might be congratulating herself soon on her choice of doubles partner for the week... Emily broken twice in the first set and has yet to fashion a BP herself,
3-6

paulisi · Tennis legend

Emily lost in straight sets

Peter too · Tennis legend

R1: APPLETON, Emily (GBR) 4 760 lost to SEWING, Sofia (USA) 1161 3-6 5-7

indiana · Tennis legend

Looked a tough draw and clearly was.

Apparent financial support may have made going pro rather than the US College route easier for Emily and allowed an interesting itinerary.

But tennis level and academically college otherwise did seem a potentially good option. Anyway, all the best to her having made the choice.

paulisi · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
Looked a tough draw and clearly was.
Apparent financial support may have made going pro rather than the US College route easier for Emily and allowed an interesting itinerary.

But tennis level and academically college otherwise did seem a potentially good option. Anyway, all the best to her having made the choice.

The mentoring may have been beneficial, but I'm not sure the Appletons are in need of financial support....

indiana · Tennis legend

paulisi wrote:
indiana wrote:
Looked a tough draw and clearly was.
Apparent financial support may have made going pro rather than the US College route easier for Emily and allowed an interesting itinerary.

But tennis level and academically college otherwise did seem a potentially good option. Anyway, all the best to her having made the choice.
The mentoring may have been beneficial, but I'm not sure the Appletons are in need of financial support....

Yes, that's basically what I was saying I understood. But although financially she seems to have the financial back-up to give the pro circuit a good go I just wonder at the choice to do so against the college alternative.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

The standard of college tennis isn't that high week in week out she would as a freshman be one of the best players, rarely being tested fully perhaps only in the later rounds of the national tournaments. She would still be relying mainly on the US local futures to be pushed.

If developing your game with a view to playing WTA pro tennis is your aspiration futures is the way to go particularly if the financial resources and grades are there to go to college anytime later.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Oakland2002 wrote:
The standard of college tennis isn't that high week in week out she would as a freshman be one of the best players, rarely being tested fully perhaps only in the later rounds of the national tournaments. She would still be relying mainly on the US local futures to be pushed.

If developing your game with a view to playing WTA pro tennis is your aspiration futures is the way to go particularly if the financial resources and grades are there to go to college anytime later.

We must agree to differ smile

However, it is true that Mike Appleton is one of the few parents in a very good position to advise his daughter well and from first-hand experience, given his tennis 'career', degree, and business success.

indiana · Tennis legend

Interesting to hear other thoughts and certainly from people with much more knowledge of the US college scene than me ( not difficult! )

But I look at someone like Emily Arbuthnott, who to me has seemed at least as good a tennis prospect as Emily Appleton and she seems to have landed very well academically but also not bad at all for her tennis development, not considered 'too good' to benefit tennis-wise. And I have not noticed any real questions asked re her choice.

I don't know how Emily App compares academically but I am sure I have heard that she is pretty strong so it just seemed to me that on the face if there were probably decent opportunities there at her stage, at least for a year or two. I forget where she had a confirmation from but withdrew, and no doubt wouldn't know how that was set up for her potential tennis development re internal support and potential opposition.

Michael D · All-time great

indiana wrote:
Interesting to hear other thoughts and certainly from people with much more knowledge of the US college scene than me ( not difficult! )

But I look at someone like Emily Arbuthnott, who to me has seemed at least as good a tennis prospect as Emily Appleton and she seems to have landed very well academically but also not bad at all for her tennis development, not considered 'too good' to benefit tennis-wise. And I have not noticed any real questions asked re her choice.

I don't know how Emily App compares academically but I am sure I have heard that she is pretty strong so it just seemed to me that on the face if there were probably decent opportunities there at her stage, at least for a year or two. I forget where she had a confirmation from but withdrew, and no doubt wouldn't know how that was set up for her potential tennis development re internal support and potential opposition.

Well, it's clear from the video's that Steven has just posted about Andy Murray's new sports management company that he would not recommend that young players forego their education completely to become a tennis professional. He says its the one thing he regrets, having not pursued his education further, and the three people he has picked up to support first up, including a twin athletes, are all serious about their academic careers too.