Those who are only playing ITF doubles events must struggle for funding. The current prize money for even the winners of the event isn't great - the following are the amounts PER PAIR in dollars for winners and runners up (from ITF rulebook):-

W15      955 /    515
W25   1,437 /    719
W60   3,344 / 1,672
W80   4,460 / 2,230
W100 5,573 / 2,787

Also
Harriet Dart - down 35 to 194
And some other small drops in our top 10.

As someone who is ignorant on womens tennis generally and doubles specifically, just wondering if anyone thinks Tara (or anyone else) can take over top spot from Heather by season end.

Heather is live 112 with 901 points, Tara is 121 on 775 points but has 20 to come off I think ( I am taking this from Live Tennis, not my own analysis).

So Tara has 9 places and 146 points to make up on Heather; Tara does seem to be playing though more actively than Heather - realistically, do folks think she has a chance of taking over top spot by season end and also reaching the top 100, which is around 250 points away from here currently?

I'd say that Tara certainly has a decent chance of overtaking Heather and also, if a bit more outside chance, reaching top 100 by season end

She is GB's top points gatherer this year with consistently big ITF tournament points earlier in the year and some good WTA tour points since mid year ( Heather is ahead in the rankings with the addition of some 2019 and 2020 points ). And while the last 2 weeks' WTA 500 tournaments have been R1 losses for Tara & Emina they have been very competitive losses to very well ranked seeded pairs. So not far off getting results and big points at WTA 500 level.

If Tara & Emina continue to play the rest of the year at WTA tour level they could continue to be unlucky with draws and have R1 losses but I think the odds are that they have the form to get some wins and thus some decent points hauls.

Of course the GB rankings contain pretty much doubles specialists like Tara, EWS, Alicia and Olivia, more occasional doubles from higher ranked singles players such as Heather and Harriet and others who try to do a bit of both like Sam, Eden and Beth, so it may be difficult to order how good they all relatively are. I suspect that Heather and Harriet remain our best two doubles players but Tara has done really well with Emina.

But ranking wise absolutely Tara could reach these goals by season end. Heather has nothing due off before the end of the season and Tara just those 20 net points.

the addict wrote:

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It's the old question - when will the 103 points Heather has from 2019 tournaments eentually drop off (including 10 from Indian Wells 2019).

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 The IW 2019 points will be off by year end, I'd imagine actually after the upcoming 2021 version, as the WTA have said that all remaining WTA tour 2019 points will be off come November. Though the 10 IW points is not truly a counter for Harriet as she has enough other 10 pointers.

More unknown is when the heck are the WTA going to take off the remaining 2019 ITF tournament points? Heather still has 96 points from these, 40 + 43 + 13, even after being reduced by 50%. I say Heather has nothing due off for the remainder of the year given the WTA seem to have given no indication that these are coming off anytime soon so may even stay until say their 2022 anniversary?! Though surely sense would be to wipe these too by year end. 2020 and 2021 points are quite enough to head into 2022 with! 

the addict wrote:

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JonH comes home wrote:

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As someone who is ignorant on womens tennis generally ...

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 A little test for you JonH, just to prove that you know a lot more than you think. Look at the pictures of the featured players on this page and see how many you can name without cheating.

https://www.chicagotennisfestival.com/

Hint:- quite a few of these aren't actually playing in Chicago this week.

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 Ha

So across the rows:

DOnt know, Muguruza, dont know, dont know

Gauff, CLijsters, Pliskova, dont know

Kvitova, Keys, Azarenka, dont know

 

Not sure how well I have done!

 

 

the addict wrote:

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All correct JonH !

Andreescu, Muguruza, Riske, Kenin
Gauff, Clijsters, Pliskova, Sakkari
Kvitova, Keys, Azarenka, Sabalenka

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 Ha - all correct minus the 5 I didnt know! 7/12 feels like a C grade to me!!