Week 3 - ITF ($25K) - Orlando, USA Clay

Peter too · Tennis legend

Week 3 - ITF ($25K) - Orlando, USA Clay

Mervatron2 · Challenger qualifying

Hoping for better this week.

blob · All-time great

64 in qualifying, so three rounds to complete to get in to the main draw.
That's going to be a consequential toll and impediment to Katie making any significant gains here. Top 300 should be able to get in to the main draw on the next-to-bottom tier of the pyramid without qualifying, or, as has been noted often previously, the pyramid is seriously wonky and unbalanced.
On this basis, 3/18 tiers are generally for everyone over WR300 ($15K, $15+H, $25K); the remaining 15 tiers are seemingly reserved for those inside the top 300 - 83% of available tiers are generally available to <30% of the player base

All the more frustrating with Katie on this occasion having missed out by just the one place, but that's just a coincidence.

This being early in the season possibly has an effect on the distortion of the pyramid, with plenty droppoing down for a lead in to more serious challenges elsewhere later in the coming weeks when suitable level events come to their location. The general point stands.

Michael D · All-time great

Personally these fiercely competitive US 25ks are the last place I'd start the season. I agree though that if you have been training over there, and given the lack of options - there are no other 25ks for a few weeks still, it would seem there is little choice. As WR300 to have to play 3 matches to get a single point seems far too much.

Strongbow · All-time great

If you think this is fiercely competitive look at the Glasgow 25k! The last player in the MD (222) there would be 5th seed here confuse

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Its purely a product of the quality locally training in Florida this time of year it is as much about getting competitive games off the back of a high quality training block surrounded by very good players to practice with as it is gorging on points.

the addict · Tennis legend

Strongbow wrote:
If you think this is fiercely competitive look at the Glasgow 25k! The last player in the MD (222) there would be 5th seed here

And Katie S is just outside qualifying ! But that will all change in the next two days.

paulisi · Tennis legend

The 25k+ events are always loaded early in the calendar as there are so few of them and virtually everyone starts their season at the same time

blob · All-time great

Actually, they're far less of an outlier than you think, and the early season in no way accounts for the overall effect.

I went and got all of the 2017 data...
Each circle is an event at the given level, with the ranks of the #1,#8 seeds, and MD cut-off shown.
UNR has been reassigned as WR1300 - to fit everything on scale.
ITF Pro-Circuit data only, no WTA or Slams.

NB: I did Q cutoff too, but it was meaningless as in >95% of cases, at all levels there was at least one UNR player, pushing the Q cutoff to always reach maximum value.

Michael D · All-time great

It's hard to see exactly where the 300 line is on the last diagram, but there are very few tournaments it looks like where the MD cut of is before 300. It looks like maximum of 5-6 for 2017, and possibly only 2-3 where the cut of is perhaps more than 10 under 300.

indiana · Tennis legend

Probably yes not ideal for going deep this week. But Katie lost in R1 last week and getting some more matches ( hopefully ) to get into the groove early in the new season probably won't do any harm in the bigger picture. Prefer that to going straight into the MD, getting the #1 seed in R1 and still a bit rusty getting whipped without removing too much rust.

As Oakland points to I'd say more about matches just now than getting overconcerned about ranking points. So I don't see any biggie about being in qualifying here, maybe even for the best.

-- Edited by indiana on Sunday 14th of January 2018 08:51:25 PM

blob · All-time great

Michael D wrote:
It's hard to see exactly where the 300 line is on the last diagram, but there are very few tournaments it looks like where the MD cut of is before 300. It looks like maximum of 5-6 for 2017, and possibly only 2-3 where the cut of is perhaps more than 10 under 300.

For $25K (+H) with reference lines, and regional variation then, last ranked DA for MD.

I can't believe this program is free. If I only understood how to use it.

indiana · Tennis legend

Women's 25Ks are such anomalous tournaments ( exacerbated further with the last prize money increases at higher levels ) with relatively crap prize money against relatively very decent points that more generally it can't help scheduling choices.

-- Edited by indiana on Monday 15th of January 2018 01:27:20 AM

wolf · Tennis legend

You're going to have to explain to me what analomalous means because even a google search didn't shed any light.

Peter too · Tennis legend

Q1: SWAN, Katie (GBR) 1 300 def SUBHASH, Natasha (USA) WC UNR 7-6(7) 6-3

Q2: SWAN, Katie (GBR) 1 300 v IVANOVA, Dasha (USA) 694 CH=577 7/8/17