Random Charts & Nonsense

Peter too · Tennis legend

Random Charts & Nonsense

indiana · Tennis legend

Poor Sam had nothing to defend this year until 23/04 but hasn't been able to build her ranking up again in that time but still be great to see her back of course.

Let's have a few pushing to take that GB #10 ranking on an upwards path.

blob · All-time great

Updates for end of Week 13/Start of Week 14:

blob · All-time great

Week 14 >=$25K Field strengths
Interesting comparison this week, with the US $25K so weak - every single MD DA player in Italy would have been a seed in Jackson, on the same surface, too.

How this weeks events compare to all YTD events at that level

Regional Comparison YTD

Even 4 consecutive $25K in the same location at SMDP shows considerable variability in the quality of the fields:

blob · All-time great

The entries thus far for week 15 take us over 200 entries YTD (currently 205).
In week 15 of 2017, we had a total of 256 entries.
We did have one extra GB event, but that accounted for 21 entries: we've still had considerably fewer players take part weekly.
The available tournaments have been comparable, we're just not playing, and it's the Laura Deigman/Manisha/Mirabelle/Suzy group that are missing. Understandably players have to move on. The thing is that, as yet, there are no analagous replacements from the next little wave that have replaced them as the group that grind away to see what they can achieve, for love of the game.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

The timing of when players leave as opposed to start pro tennis in earnest is likely to be very different in that generally perhaps pelayers make a decision to quit at the end of the year but start in earnest at the end of the school year or after exams finish at university. One would hope to see Ali Collins, Gemma Heath, Sabrina Federici (Texas Tech) possibly Rebecca Smaller (Duke) beginning to play more regularly. Although Gemma has another year as a junior.

Generally though taking a subjective view last years ladies US college seniors did not yield anyone turning pro and playing regularly. The present cohort of seniors and juniors isnt that strong either.

Although Jodie Burrage, Emily Appleton and Fran Jones have stepped up to seniors some good players have gone to college over the last two years and are playing towards the top of the order in power conference teams or lower down in potential NCAA championship winning teams may well think of giving it a go in three to four year times. A couple of good players have also gone or are going the Butler community college and transfer route. It may just be s change in tack playing out.

blob · All-time great

Tara's win in Sharm today is our 6th title for the GB women in 2018 YTD: 4 $25K, 2 $15K
Last year at the same point, we had 7 titles: 1 Premier Mandatory, 1 Premier 12, 5 $15K

Hard to compare those two really. Strong lower end progress and potential one year versus outstanding solo top end achievement the other.
No player that won an event to this point last year has also won won in the same early period of 2018.
2017 winners to end of week 14: 2 Konta; 1 Boulter, Lumsden, Swan, Webley-Smith
2018 winners to end of week 14: 3 G Taylor; 1 Burrage, Dart, Moore

blob · All-time great

Updates at the conclusion of week 14:

Michael D · All-time great

Interesting to see Emma R shooting into some of your charts there....

And that come Monday morning we are still waiting for the first win for this week, owing mainly to the rain in Spain, sorry Portugal, and the absence of matches there.

blob · All-time great

Field strength comparisons:
The first really busy week of the year, with events in many Regions and on various surfaces.
As predicted here, the Osaka $25K is the strongest of the week. Choice in Europe diluting fields perhaps, and in North America, a $60K and $25K in the same country having the same effect.
Pelham $25K has Strongish seeds, and weak rest of the MD.
The three Clcay $25K are reasonably evenly matched.
Obidos is a gift, and hopefully our representatives there can take full advantage.
Asian events continue to hold their quality, Hard courts out-rank Clay, but this may change as we swing in to the clay season proper.

blob · All-time great

As players move on from Japan, with the series winding down and more lucrative opportunities in Europe, you can see the drop off in quailty of their fields.

Same is true in Santa Margherita Di Pula, as there are three other competing events in and around the Mediterranean at the same or higher tiers from which a player could choose.

blob · All-time great

Updates start of week 16

Again, another week where even if wew were to win no matches in ti, by the end of it, we would still be ahead of 2017 on YTD wins/entry.

blob · All-time great

Week 16 >$25K field strengths:

Obidos very weak again; first $80K globally in 2018 - more about it later.

blob · All-time great

Fed Cup perhaps explains the weakness of all three $25K in Europe this week - though a good proportion of, maybe a majority of, the players taking part would not be aiming at ITF's anyway:

blob · All-time great

Strength of Asian $25K continues to outpace other regions, even with comparable numbers of events and mitigating circumstances, they still hold up their quality: