DF wrote:

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Anna like Lauryn before her has made a good start 3-0

Hope she can keep it up

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 Anna is playing great, looks like she plays better versus a stronger opponent. 

Wow, 9 games in a row for the HK player.

Edit make that 12 . Anna loses 3-6 0-6.

 

So it's only #451 Eden and 4 young WCs in the main draw from a British point of view. Joanna Garland as well. 

-- Edited by Ace Ventura on Monday 18th of April 2022 12:35:42 PM

I agree the numbers are frustrating.

However, if you think about the singles players who have most to gain in 25ks, we're probably talking Katy D, Maia, Beth, Sonay, all of whom have decent reasons to be absent. Eliz I think is is Tunisia this one week? Jodie presumably prepping for some clay tournaments.

Then there's Naiktha and Mandy C who aren't here much.

Then all the doubles specialists - Sam, Lissey, EWS, Tara, who need higher money tournaments. You could argue if we'd had more 25ks here in the past, we'd have fewer people feeling forced to specialise in doubles?

We don't have that many players, is the trouble

Yeah, there's obviously a number of reasons, some are playing bigger events, which is fair enough, or concentrating on doubles, likewise, preparing for bigger events, injured, live overseas, or have other commitments, although saying that, while she would have at least been practicing on clay, I don't think it would have been too unreasonable for Sonay to have played here, especially as she hasn't played a match for over a month, and wouldn't have needed play until the Wednesday, but then again, she is still very new to this, and can please herself with her schedule, and she has obviously been a massive plus in the earlier W25s and almost single handedly painted the LTA in a better light with her efforts.

But there's 14 players ranked higher than Eden, and while some are obviously well beyond the W25 stuff, it's disappointing that not one of them will be playing at a home event.

www.openerarankings.com/WTAHome

I think the LTA will look at the 25ks overall, though.

IMO, the early ones this year went quite a lot better than would have been expected.

So if these are a bit skinny in terms of participation and results, then that has to be weighed up with the others (maybe early in the year is better?)

Taking the two together, I think we're still in positive territory.

My own feeling, though, is that the obsession with 25ks is the problem. A few 15ks would sort out a lot of the issues (foreign players wouldn't bother to come, far more of our ranked players would make the MD, lower level players (and juniors) would be more incentivised to play qualis, and wildcards would be easier...

Q2: CHRISTIE, Freya (GBR) (1) 588 lost to BEJENARU, Karola Patricia (ROU) (13) 933 2-6 4-6
Q2: JOHN-BAPTISTE, Lauryn (GBR) (16) 1000 lost to FUNG, Stacey (CAN) (3) 598 3-6 3-6
Q2: BROGAN, Anna (GBR) (12) 825 lost to WONG, Hong, Yi Cody (HKG) (5) 624 3-6 0-6

R1: NEILSON, GATENBY, Talia (GBR) WC 826 =CH {16yo JCH=158} v FUNG, Stacey (CAN) Q 601 (CH=598 2022)
R1: SILVA, Eden (GBR) 451(CH=408 2021) v SALDEN, Lara (BEL) (7) 364 (CH=246 2020)
R1: STOIBER, Ranah Aqua (GBR) WC UNR =CH {16yo JCH=34} v GARLAND, Joanna (TPE) 441 =CH
R1: CONWAY, Jasmine (GBR) WC 858 =CH {17yo JCH=80} v KOZAKI, Funa (JPN) Q 709 (CH=592 2021)
R1: LACY, Isabelle (GBR) WC UNR =CH {15yo JCH=152} v ROBBE, Alice (FRA) 398 =CH