the addict wrote:

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Having watched some of her win last week, I am more and more convinced there was a mental barrier, more than partly brought on my the pressure from her team to succeed. There were a lot of people watching and I'm sure it didn't help.

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Yes, I'm sure you're right. That sky sports scholar tag and the need to update regularly via different forms of media places considerable pressure. Not least Emily's erroneous comment last year about finally having broken into the top 500, which she did not quite achieve. She has her biggest counter coming off next week - 10 pts for her first 15k win (I think) in Korea last year. This is a W25+H so 6pts for this win and still -4 for the week, meaning despite these encouraging two wins, in two weeks time she will still likely only just be inside the top 600 - unless she can achieve a real breakthrough and beat a seeded player next.   

And the seed was too strong for Emily. So next barrier for her is how to win two matches in a row at this level. COnsidering that means she is likely to meet a seed for one of those rounds, it is going to be the next challenge for her, if she does want to break that 500 barrier

R16: Emily APPLETON (GBR) [IR] 597/18 lost to Jule NIEMEIER (GER) [8] 325 (CH:301 July 19) 4-6 3-6 (in 1hr 40)

She plays a lot does Emily, more than any of our other women, and no doubt she feels an obligation to do so given that scholarship. But I don't think it always helps her performances, and she could probably do with a bit of a break - not that she seems to have one lined up yet.

Michael D wrote:

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She plays a lot does Emily, more than any of our other women, and no doubt she feels an obligation to do so given that scholarship. But I don't think it always helps her performances, and she could probably do with a bit of a break - not that she seems to have one lined up yet.

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Emily certainly has played a lot of tournaments in the last couple of years and while different strokes for different folk the balance as against training blocks does look possibly questionable.

Don't know why she would feel an obligation to play so much if that at all conflicted with simply going about things in the way she and her team feel will most likely improve her medium to long term prospects. That is surely the goal for all including sponsors. 

QF: Emily APPLETON/ Carolina Meligeni Rodrigues ALVES (GBR/BRA) CR690 (305+385) LOST TO Petra KREJSOVA/ Jesika MALECKOVA (CZE/CZE) CR883 (515/368) 2-6 7-5 14-16

I see Niemeier (Emily's conqueror) ended up winning this event without dropping a set, including a SF win over former recent top 100 player and 2018 WTA title winner Danilovic who has started to do a bit better following her early season slump.