Peter too wrote:

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R1: KONTA, Johanna (GBR) 41 (CH=4 2017) v ZHANG, S (CHN) 51 (CH=23 2016)

They have played seven times before with Jo winning six. The one loss was in 2013.

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 Jo beat Zhang to win Nottingham in June. Since then with resting her knee and Covid, Jo has played no singles at all whereas Zhang has been very active and played 12 singles including the win over Emma.  

emmsie69 wrote:

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Got to give Harriet kudos, she must enter all the big events when others above her choose lower events. I think, given her ranking, it is probably wise as there isn't a huge gulf between 50 and 150/200 and you can get just as unlucky in a lower level draw with an in form player, youngster heading upwards or big player coming back rom injury so may aswell go big or go home and this week she has every chance of beating Mchale and making MD. I think this match is quite tough to call, another year I'd say Harriet but she hasn't really competed aswell as she was pre covid so 50/50

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 As I've mentioned before, I found it very interesting to read one interview with a French player who'd retired at age 26 or so, never having cracked the top level. He couldn't continue for financial reasons and had no regrets at all about having given it a go. 

But his huge regret was that he'd got so tied up in challengers and playing for points, taking MD places, and trying to inch his way up the ladder, that he'd never really rolled the dice and just stuck himself in for a few ATP500 qualis or whatever.

He said he knew for a fact that tennis was quite a chance-y sport (as you say, you can get lucky/unlucky at one level, almost as easily as the level up).

And that it often only takes one good, or one fluke-y tournament, and you can change things around. (Joe Salisbury refers back to one completely career changing tournie, (can't remember which one), which he claims was pretty lucky, and opened the door to everything after - and if it hadn't happened he might well have quit because things were beginning to look tricky). 

Anyway, that was the French guy's one big regret - he'd never given himself a chance on the big stage, just to see. Maybe his tennis would have risen to the occasion? Maybe he'd have got lucky? He'll never know....

So, yes, good on Harriet (Eden is another who is good at entering high-end events). And EWS, why not? 

But Harriet is 2-0 in the second set 

Yes, I recall as far back as post the US Open 2018 Harriet going for qualifying in a series of WTA 250s and 500s ( as they are now called ). She didn't then pick up that many points but she puts herself out there and such experience probably helps towards say some of her Slam qualifying successes, as opposed to them being rather a step up in level.