Boys & Girls: Roland Garros French Junior Championsips, clay - Grade A (Week 23)

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

RE: Boys & Girls: Roland Garros French Junior Championsips, clay - Grade A (Week 23)

the addict · Tennis legend

As I reported earlier, Laura Deigman is at RG, as a coach, so I wouldn't be surprised if she's with Emma this week.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

the addict wrote:
As I reported earlier, Laura Deigman is at RG, as a coach, so I wouldn't be surprised if she's with Emma this week.

I didn't see that, but according to the interview she hasn't got a coach, so I am assuming Laura is just a team coach for the Juniors?

indiana · Tennis legend

I trust noone actually thought that they were Emma's coach

Priesty · Challenger level

I remember a Danish challenger level player named Michael Tauson from way back, wonder if Clara is any relation? (says he, thinking he needs to get out more...)

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Nice interview and explains a little why Emma made her senior debut in China, it may well have been to polish up her Mandarin or Cantonese

Bromley Tennis centre is well run and where Anton Matusevich was also coached until recently, the performance coach that looked after Anton and Emma; Alistair Filmer moved to Chiswick after a very successful 7 years there. The guy who runs the centre is a very emotionally intelligent Kiwi and is going through a process to recruit an elite performance coach who is a good fit as part of the existing broader performance team.

Bromley Tennis Centre is actually in Orpington ie. 5 minutes off the M25 and easily accessible for most of SE London and Kent. It is a good model for allowing a relatively normal life (obviously an enormous amount of training is involved) if you are bright enough to get into Newstead Woods School (which from an academic perspective is problem as demanding as trying to become an elite tennis player) as the Tennis centre sits in the school grounds. The real shame is it isnt a large state comprehensive but obviously a good fit for Emma.

I have got to be honest the constant flow of players to West London is a frustration given the size and general sporting prowess of the counties in the East ie Kent and Essex. With that adjacent London boroughs you are talking catchment areas of about 5-6 million people within a 45-60 minute commute. It is really important that geographically there is equity of access to elite performance facilities for the very best juniors. Naomi Cavaday is from just round the corner and from her blog enjoyed hitting.

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Sunday 3rd of June 2018 10:23:39 PM

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Helen40 wrote:
It was a decent enough interview, I love what she said about her idol being Li Na and the work ethic. also the fact that she's at a normal school doing normal 15 year old things. I hope they media doesn't jump on her the way they did Robbo.
I was disappointed that they didn't mention that she'd won a 15k already in her fledgling career when they spoke about her afterwards.

If Emma was to win junior Wimbledon in the way that Laura did, then that is what will happen. After Laura's early success they had her winning main Wimbledon and there was even an unauthorised biography written about her before she was 20. The media get carried away at the first sign of success.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Lets not forget Emma has a tough match coming up there are lots of very competent 14,15 and 16 year olds out there. Still early days. I see a similar junior profile to Katie Swans, Katie had a semi final appearance at the AO as a 15 year old, I think her publicity has been about right much more britishtennis.net than daily snail and hopefully Holly Fischer will get fit and play regularly with the limelight being shared around a bit.

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Oakland2002 wrote:
Lets not forget Emma has a tough match coming up there are lots of very competent 14,15 and 16 year olds out there. Still early days. I see a similar junior profile to Katie Swans, Katie had a semi final appearance at the AO as a 15 year old, I think her publicity has been about right much more britishtennis.net than daily snail and hopefully Holly Fischer will get fit and play regularly with the limelight being shared around a bit.

Katie was actually a finalist in the junior AO 2015. The player who beat Katie in the final was Tereza Mihalikova of Slovakia who is yet to make an impact in senior tennis. We don't want our players over-hyped by the media.

RedSquirrel · Satellite level

Emma missing a lot of 1st serves. Down a double break. 2-5*

ROSAMUND · Futures level

Priesty wrote:
I remember a Danish challenger level player named Michael Tauson from way back, wonder if Clara is any relation? (says he, thinking he needs to get out more...)

Michael Tauson is the uncle of Clara Tauson

RedSquirrel · Satellite level

It wasn't to be today.

Emma Raducanu lost to Clara Tauson (5) 2-6 1-6

DavidC · Tennis legend

As I feared all British interest in singles ends early. The draws were tough (Aidan's opponent has a similar ATP ranking) but they didn't give themselves the best chance of progress - 19 of the top 20 ranked boys played a warm-up event on European clay (junior or Pro), with Aidan being the one exception.

Boys R1 (L64)

(WC) Antoine Cornut Chauvinc (FRA) d. (13) Aidan McHugh 6-3 4-6 6-4
Nicolas Alvarez Varona (ESP) d. Jack Draper 6-2 7-6(3)
Deney Wassermann (NED) d. George Loffhagen 4-6 6-4 6-4

DavidC · Tennis legend

Jack and partner withdrew from the doubles unfortunately. Skatov apparently changed nationality to his country of birth last month

Boys Doubles R1 (L32)

(WC) Anselmo/Voisin (FRA) d. Boyer/Loffhagen (USA/GBR) 6-4 7-5
(3) McHugh/Skatov (GBR/KAZ) d. (ALT) Oliel/Woodall (ISR/USA) 6-2 6-4

R2

(WC) Anselmo/Voisin (FRA) v (3) McHugh/Skatov (GBR/KAZ)

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Tough day for our juniors but with the exception of Aidan they can all go again next year.