Week 10 - ITF (W25) - Yokohama, Japan - Hard

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

RE: Week 10 - ITF (W25) - Yokohama, Japan - Hard

Michael D · All-time great

Coup Droit wrote:
christ wrote:
indiana wrote:
I actually think "the new rankings are obviously designed to..." is a difficult one.

Answers on a postcard please.
" ... concentrate the money into fewer places more predictably."
"....justify the ITF bods' existence by having done something new, no matter what it is"

"sew utter confusion and chaos to make it clear that only real experts can make sense of the complexities and run this sport."

RedSquirrel · Satellite level

Michael D wrote:

MD out now. Both Gabi and Katy have favourable first round draws, well Gabi does face a former junior #2... Here's hoping Thurs is also Gabi's 21st birthday, she could do with a good gift to herself this week. Although 3rd on the acceptance list, Gabi has dropped 29 places in the rankings this week and is unseeded (based even on last week's ranking) and she needs to start a comeback somewhere.

R32: Gabriella TAYLOR (GBR) 251 vs En Shuo LIANG (TPE) 233=CH 18yrs (JCH:2 Jan 18)

R32: Katy DUNNE (GBR) 296 vs Satoko SUENO (JPN) [WC] UNR/UNR 19yrs (JCH:250 Sept 15)

Liang, of course, lost to Katy last week.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Katy beat Liang last week so here's hoping Gabi can do the same. Don't know anything about Katy's opponent, but on paper it does look as good as you could have expected.

Weird seeing Gabi ranked so low and there's still 79 points to defend in the next couple of weeks, she'll drop below Maia and well into the 300s with a couple of early exits, so hopefully she can get something going soon.

Michael D · All-time great

Both Gabi and Lissey are up to play doubles tomorrow, and Gabi also her singles.

In the doubles Gabi + Elena Gabriela RUSE (ROU) play the 3rd seeds, Eri Hozumi and Moyuka Uchijima (JPN)

Lissey is playing with Maegan MANASSE (USA) against Satoko Sueno (Katy's singles opponent) and Ayumi Hirata, a WC pair.

RedSquirrel · Satellite level

Gabi gets off to a flyer taking the 1st.
But Gabi serves 3 DFs in the first game of the 2nd...

6-1 0-1*

Babfive · Satellite level

Gabi won 6-1 7-6(5) biggrin

Michael D · All-time great

Wonderful, let's hope this is just the start. Greet Minnen next, who reached the QF of the Hobart International in January after putting out Katie B in the QR1. Today she put out the 3rd seed but that Hobart run comfortably marks the highpoint of her year so far.

R32: Gabriella TAYLOR (GBR) 251 beat En Shuo LIANG (TPE) 233=CH 18yrs (JCH:2 Jan 18) 6-1 7-6(5)

R16: Gabriella TAYLOR (GBR) 251 vs Greet MINNEN (BEL) 243=CH

-- Edited by Michael D on Tuesday 5th of March 2019 07:48:37 AM

Michael D · All-time great

Gabi and her Romanian namesake have also won their doubles easily taking out the 3rd seeds 6-2 6-3, so further encouraging news for her day.

Lissey + meanwhile have withdrawn from their doubles and been replaced by an alt pair. Hope that is more due to the + than Lissey, who is now 2nd alt for next week and thus likely guaranteed to play.
(Tara is also 6th alt and EWS 7th alt, as she is also for the higher level W60 Shenzhen tournament.)

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Great to see Gabi win. Liang must really hate playing Brits at the moment as that's 3 straight set defeats in the past 4 months (Swan the other). Thought she lost to Naomi as well last year but doesn't seem to have. Obviously the Hobart run and just being steady away at these 25ks this year, but strange to see Minnen ranked above Gabi now as this time 3 or 4 months ago, she'd have been about 170+ places below her.

Similar story for Katy, if she can beat her WC later, she avoids the 2nd seed, but that wasn't necessary a shock because it's Ruse (Gabi's doubles partner) who is very talented but has struggled massively with injury - she beat F Liu 6-2 6-0.

The Realist · Junior player

If it is Manasse that has pulled out , then this is the third tournament in a row that Lissey's partner has withdrawn before the doubles has even started - she must be thinking the world is against her at the moment

the addict · Tennis legend

Manasse lost her QR1 match 2 & 1 on Monday, only winning 4 points out of the last 19, so it looks likely that she has an injury. Very tough on Lissey, has to wait a whole week now.

SuperT · Futures level

I'm so pleased to see Gabi back playing again. I've missed her. Really hope she can put a bit of a run together in Japan.

Ace Ventura · Tennis legend

Katy is due to start in an hour. She's 1/200, one if the shortest I've ever seen a Brit, so hopefully there's no slip up a there.

Strongbow · All-time great

Katy takes the first set 6-1 smile