PaulM wrote:

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This match was pretty diabolical. Matilda really blew the third set with shocking errors off nothing balls. And Sierra, who at times could barely walk between points (although she recovered miraculously towards the end), struck a clean winner at 5-5* deuce and for no reason wandered into the net to accidentally give Matilda the point. Then sent a basic high backhand into the score board at the back of the court to give Matilda another break.

Matilda then double faulted twice to get broken again at *6-5.

Quality improved in a very tense tiebreaker, Matilda went up *4-2 but Sierra stepped up and because Matilda can't do very much meaningful with the ball other than pat it about, she didn't win another point.

Out 6-3 4-6 6-7(4)

I'll keep saying it until it happens. Matilda would really benefit from going down the US college route. A good programme would I think do wonders for her development, plus give her the time to get physically stronger if she does want to go Pro later.

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 Mike Dickson writing in the Daily Mail 10th September said that the nearest thing to Raducanu in age bracket looks like 17 year old Matilda Mutavdzic who is ranked 18 in the world juniors and reached the third round of the US Open girls event. If she does down the US College route she won't be in the BJK Cup team for  a while then. As an aside do  any of our girls who go down the US College route ever  join the  pro tour. The US College route for golfers always looks like a  finishing school for  soon to be professionals.