JonH comes home wrote:

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Just checking, this event is indoors, correct? I put indoor in the title, but cant recall seeing it? With 8 singles and 4 doubles a day, presumably they are using 2 courts? 3 round Robin matches would take us tuesday to thursday, the tie break tens on Friday and then semis Saturday and Sunday.

Is that the correct schedule?

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 It is outdoors on three courts. Round robins until Thursday, semis on Friday and finals on Saturday. Tie break tens on Friday from 6 pm

Bagel wrote:

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Coup Droit wrote:

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Bagel wrote:

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cya wrote:

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Eden Silva and Danielle are  listed in the Progress Tour, and though a different event Mpukusa is listed in next weeks SGH, but maybe I misunderstand the 'down' bit above.

 

And entry for the events are voluntary.  Im sure the players are able to decide whether or not to enter an event.  Although ,  the financial incentive is tempting!

-- Edited by cya on Sunday 12th of July 2020 10:20:31 PM

-- Edited by cya on Sunday 12th of July 2020 10:23:09 PM

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 That is really my point. Players who have been unable to play for three or four months are being offered relatively huge amounts of  prize money but have to play day after day-basically at the behest of streaming companies who sell the product to bookmakers. I don't blame the players who are tempted but I do blame the governing body which sanctions these events.

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 What's the problem with playing day after day?

They do that for ITF events.

(Well, they do, if they win. And maybe that's part of why those that win do win - because they are able to play day after day - so that's a key part of pro tennis)

Frankly, the powers that be should be more ashamed of ITF events, for asking players to play day after day for crumbs, than they should feel ashamed for asking them to play day after day for betting company sponsored events that at least pay the players adequately. 

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 There is a problem with playing on 17 consecutive days especially when there have been zero matches for three months!

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 I think then some element of common sense on the part of the player and potentially their coach should come into play in determining whether or not to play. It's a bit of a catch 22 for the powers that be , isn't it? They get blamed for not providing opportunities to play and also for providing too many opportunities 

Ace Ventura wrote:

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It's clearly not ideal playing that amount of matches in a row, and you obviously have to prepare and recover from each match accordingly, but the MTB does help massively, plus in some cases, the level of competition as well. I remember an ITF event last year in South Korea where Maia had 2 successive matches with a combined time of over 6 hours, whereas Jodie won't have been on court too much longer than that in all her 7 matches combined last week, and there's a huge difference between coming through a 7-6 5-7 7-6 3 hour epic, than coming through 6-0 6-0/1 in 45 mins.

Ideally the schedule would have been spread out a bit, and the money will obviously be an incentive to push through, but they are all old enough to make that decision and dip in and out where they see best for their bodies, and if someone like Jodie thinks she can manage a few more matches this week, good for her.

If it was to be these events in only a 6 week window, then I'd personally rather they were there as they are, and players decide accordingly, rather than having less events, and more miss out.

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 As someone says above, the players arent forced to play week after week and for say 14 or 21 days consecutively. We have only had 1 week so far of this series, so suspect the fields will become even more varied as we reach weeks 3,4 etc and as players get over the initial enthusiasm to just play! And become tired as well

Wish both well, but yes, that's a hammer blow to the event. Looks like Freya has been promoted to the Premier division, which isn't so bad, but so too has Alice Gillan a few days on from a 1 and 2, or 2 and 1 defeat to Amelia R at the British Tour.

A fair bit of casual interest will be lost, particularly with Heather's absence.

Edit - Indy with the revised groups.

indiana wrote:

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Freya and Alice Gillan are now in the Premier Groups.

Katie S, Maia L, Alicia B, Freya C

Jodie B, Katie B, Eden S, Alice G

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 I hope Katie B is getting a massive appearance  fee here, she is really the only name viewers at home will have any knowledge or interest in, I think.