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CD is right as to my original intention, the spice of life variety player.
Peter brings up a good name, too. There are others I look for. I still scour doubles qualifying at every tournament in case Nik Slater decides to have another go in a Floridian $15K to help out one of her charges, or Jade makes a comeback or any other number of scenarios that exist purely in my imagination, but occasionally, happily, come true.

The point Michael makes is also salient. There is a big shift coming when the tours are changed next year, and this seems to have resolved itself into the schedules already to some extent. How do you even get into a tournament will soon be the question.
Being one of the left-field mavericks in coming years though probably won't mean much difference to now, the easiest way is to have sufficiently well-off parents to fund and induge the associated expenses. If we did more earlier who knows what rough gems we could unearth.
I'm staggered about how little we as a nation learned from the 2012 Olympics; recruiting, training, talent identification, development and nurturing seems to have disappeared despite the successes it clearly brough to many sports, and the joy of medals medals medals it bought to the nations.
At which point, we probably go over live to the LTA thread in General Discussions for the ongoing saga...

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Peter too


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I started commenting on British women's tennis in 2007 on the Rusedski board. We hadn't had a top 100 woman for many years so I got a few sarky comments about why I bothered. Someone said it would be ten years before we had another top 100 women as it would not be until the Ren sisters came of age. It was only about another year before Anne Keothavong made the breakthrough followed by Elena Baltacha, Katie O'Brien, Mel South, Laura Robson, Heather Watson, Jo Konta and Naomi Broady. Emily W-S was playing then on a ranking not dissimilar to today's.


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I had a brief foray back then, though not on the Rusedski forum. I was effectively cowed at the time by the reaction that you describe, and slunk away in a pretty cowardly fashion.
I only really had the confidence to return when we already had the successes of Bally, Anne, Katy, Mel and the junior careers of Hev & Laura.
By running away and not standing my ground, I was definitely part of the problem, and it did a great disservice to the likes of Lucie Ahl, Louise Latimer, Jullie Hobbs (Pullin), Georgie Gent (Stoop), Sam Smith etc.

The Rens, especially Jess, are other names I keep hoping to see again. For nostalgia rather than any pretence that they will return to fulfil their young promise. I remember when Jess was the one considered to be the future star over her best friend... Anett Kontaveit.

I also wish that there was some mechanism whereby all players could officially retire. This is impractical and purely selfish, and only designed so that I don't have to wonder whether Anna Fitzpatrick or Fran Stephenson, Lucy Brown or so many others are ever coming back when the duration since their last match stretches on and on and on... A chance to acknowledge an official goodbye, and thanks for the memories.

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Peter too


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I think the other Ren was Jennifer. They both played a very consistent game which worked well at the junior level but less effectively at the senior level.

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Michael D


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Peter too wrote:

I started commenting on British women's tennis in 2007 on the Rusedski board. We hadn't had a top 100 woman for many years so I got a few sarky comments about why I bothered. Someone said it would be ten years before we had another top 100 women as it would not be until the Ren sisters came of age. It was only about another year before Anne Keothavong made the breakthrough followed by Elena Baltacha, Katie O'Brien, Mel South, Laura Robson, Heather Watson, Jo Konta and Naomi Broady. Emily W-S was playing then on a ranking not dissimilar to today's.

Emily's staying power as a peripatetic globe trotter has been amazing. She seems unique amongst our players in making it a way of life that she seems comfortable with over the long haul. She clearly makes friends easily and has them scattered across the tour - her many doubles companions attest tot hat. There is probably as much to her doubles about making and sustaining friendships as there is about helping her earn the bread and butter she needs to survive on a week by week basis (although she appears to do all sorts of things to help with that too, including coaching at different places). More strength to her too. 



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Peter too


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If I remember rightly there was one hotel in India where Emily got free board in return for coaching the Hotel owner. It all helps to keep the tour going.

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Michael D


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Peter too wrote:

If I remember rightly there was one hotel in India where Emily got free board in return for coaching the Hotel owner. It all helps to keep the tour going.

Yes, I remember that story too... she seems to do all sorts of creative things like that on her travels. I think her personality is as much of an asset to her as her tennis skills!  



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It bears repeating: as far as I can tell Emily has held a professional ranking for more total weeks, and consecutive weeks that any GB woman since Virginia.

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Michael D


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Here's the most recent venture, and wise it would seem on the part of those using her services

www.marksontennis.com/blog/2018/british-wta-tour-player-emily-webley-smith-has-joined-jonathan-markson-tennis-as-our-official-ambassador

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christ


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Peter too wrote:

I think the other Ren was Jennifer. They both played a very consistent game which worked well at the junior level but less effectively at the senior level.

I'm new to this, but Jenny (W)Ren?  Seriously what were those parents up to?



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christ wrote:
Peter too wrote:

I think the other Ren was Jennifer. They both played a very consistent game which worked well at the junior level but less effectively at the senior level.

I'm new to this, but Jenny (W)Ren?  Seriously what were those parents up to?

I hear they had a mutual friend that recommended the name



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christ


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blob wrote:
christ wrote:
Peter too wrote:

I think the other Ren was Jennifer. They both played a very consistent game which worked well at the junior level but less effectively at the senior level.

I'm new to this, but Jenny (W)Ren?  Seriously what were those parents up to?

I hear they had a mutual friend that recommended the name

 What the Dickens?



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wimdledont


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Rendom charts and nonsense



-- Edited by wimdledont on Wednesday 7th of March 2018 02:07:19 PM

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Peter too


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Emily's first tournament was a $25K in Welwyn in Oct 1999, losing 0, 0 in Q1.
She first ventured abroad for a $10K in Deauville in Nov 2001 losing in Q3.

If I remember rightly she had various periods out coaching for a few months at a time, to fund her next tour. She also fell sick and got trapped in Australia without health insurance as the airline refused to transport her home. She could already write a book about her experiences which few people could say when they are only in their thirties.

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We are doing 'better' than last year.

V4duUF3.png

If you adjust for Johanna's fantastic start in 2017, which boosted many early weeks in that season, and carried the nation almost single-handedly, then, we are dong much better.

 



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