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Post Info TOPIC: British Tour 2023


Satellite level

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RE: British Tour 2023


Lambda wrote:

We wouldn't be in as bad a situation if some of our 'older' players entered these events, especially on the women's side. I still don't understand with £1,000 on offer to the winner why they don't, Alice Gillan excepted whose playing for £1,000 in the Progress Tour this week. It's the same with the Progress Tour in Sutton next week with £2,000 and a GB ITF WC for the winners and £1,000 to the RU. The entries are woeful. Surely some lower ranked players would welcome £2,000 and a ITF WC?


 Wonder if the older players dont want to be playing junior players? Also cost of travel and accommodation to participate in a grade 1 or 2 a factor? Other  more prestigious tournaments as mentioned.

IMO all the LTA tournaments became less competitive years ago, when the LTA changed the points so players received more for winning tournaments in older age groups. The mens and ladies events were suddenly flooded with juniors - the standard of entry dropped, especially grade 3 which used to have a decent level of entry (many who would also get in a grade 1 or 2) and which had events at multiple locations going on each week so generally easy to travel there and back in a day.

Quite like the Progress Tour as as least the players are ranked and lower ranked matches run earlier in the week. So virtually guaranteed a similar standard opponent and a good match. Haven't been for a few years, but used to be a lot of college players, college hopefuls and older players entering, think the prize money was very popular. No idea why interest in those has dropped off.



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Tennis legend

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I don't quite follow this, EP

If they changed the system, and tons more juniors now were incentivised to enter, that would only lower the standard if those juniors were actually of a lower standard. Which can't be true because entry is done on rating/ranking - so if the older players were higher ranked, then they would keep the youngsters out.

And if the standard DID drop, then that must be really easy points for the older players and even more reason to enter.

I don't have any time for them is they don't fancy playing juniors either. Of course, no one likes to lose to juniors, and there's a better atmosphere if it's a group all your own age, roughly. But that's tough, I'm afraid. I'm sure no one like losing to Mirra Andreeva this year at Wimbledon either.

I'm with Lambda - I think it's feeble, to be honest, that the young adult players don't enter. Last year there a couple of US college players (I remember Indy Spink being there and playing). But, like Lambda, I wonder where the UK uni players are, where the top club players are who fancy testing themselves against a good field. If they don't want the chance, that's fine, but it's there on offer.

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Satellite level

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Sorry CD probably didnt explain very well hmm  Looking back on the LTA tour website, post summer of 2017 the standard of grade 3 dropped. 

Higher rated older juniors players stopped playing these events and stuck to grade 1 and 2 (maybe points, ratings?  they just stopped). Older players eg coaches (who were decent standard) couldnt always get in the adult G3 as were lower rated than the youngsters (simply because didnt play many tournaments) who were now entering. 



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Challenger level

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Coup Droit wrote:

In the women, the top seed is young Alessia Popescu who plays for Romania but must live in the UK, I assume, as she's always on the circuit here.


Kate Mansfield (USA) is second seed.


There's also Megan Davies (very pleased to see she's back on court and she beat Erin Pearce easily), Serena Manca, Isabella Walker, Tia Bonita Jakupovic-Kljako (who put out Sofia Johnson), Louie Mclelland, and Min Mahmut, who is a rather tiny girl, but has lots of skills (talented musician and dancer too) and a great dad.




I wondered about the Popescu's living here a couple of months ago. There's a bit of a profile of Alessia from when she did some fundraising a couple of years ago after her father sadly passed away, which said the family moved here in 2019 to further Alessia's tennis career to be coached by Claire Taylor.

-- Edited by Lambda on Friday 14th of July 2023 04:13:25 PM

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Tennis legend

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They played short sets in the semis and finals, presumably because of the weather

COngrats to Will Nolan, who takes the title, over Dan Bird

And to Tia Bonita Jakupovic-Kljako who took the women's title, although Kate Mansfield retired quite early on in the final

(Tia also beat Alessia in the semis - and, Lambda, I certainly seem to remember seeing and hearing Alessia at Gosling, and her sounding very English, so - yep - I think she lives here).



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Challenger level

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Darn, just found there is live streaming of this week's BT event

Closing stages of Ewan Moore v Ewen Lumsden
https://www.youtube.com/@TeamGiffnock

Other court
Jed Alexander v Marcus Walters
https://www.twitch.tv/giffnocktsh

men's and womens doubles semi finals to come tonight

-- Edited by Lambda on Friday 21st of July 2023 06:57:59 PM

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Challenger level

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So this is the Giffnock Open/Scottish Tennis Grass Court Championships, a Grade 2 event with enhanced prize money.

Now playing mns SF. Ewan v Ewen into a third set.

Earlier Chesca Simpson continued her winning run defeating Alice Brook. She will play Tia Bonita Jakupovic-Kljako in the final at noon tomorrow. Tia defeated Amelie Brooks.

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Tennis legend

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I recognise the men'snames, although I know very little about them. The women are less known to me, although this must have been Amelie's best tournament to date.

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Tennis legend

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Ewen Lumsden is Maia's younger brother

Ewan Moore another college player who was in the Jay Clarke, Ryan Storrie, Alexis Canter cohort...

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Challenger level

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In the finals at Giffnock

(8) Chesca Simpson d. Tia Bonita Jakupovic-Kljako in 3 sets

(3) Ewen Lumsden d. (7) Jed Alexander

In doubles
Arabella Loftus & Chesca Simpson d. (1) Halle Pringle & Kirsty Robertson

Ewan Moore & Finlay Watters d. Rob Cowley & Marcus McLaren

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Club Coach

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Thought others might be interested that top seed in Ilkley British tour, WC, is Eleanor Dean, b1996. I think got to wta 509 in Feb 2015 from a quick check.

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Spireman wrote:

Thought others might be interested that top seed in Ilkley British tour, WC, is Eleanor Dean, b1996. I think got to wta 509 in Feb 2015 from a quick check.


 Well that is a blast from the past ! I saw Eleanor play the British Tour Premier event at Sutton in August 2016 and she was on the comeback from injury then. Her last ITF tournament was February 2017 and I thought injuries had forced her to retire for good.



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Intermediate Club Player

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How wonderful, she was such a talent, hopefully means she's enjoying playing again



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Challenger level

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Spireman wrote:

Thought others might be interested that top seed in Ilkley British tour, WC, is Eleanor Dean, b1996. I think got to wta 509 in Feb 2015 from a quick check.


 Wow!  She was a real prospect, most of us on here thought the real deal for sure.  I would love to know the story there.  When a player gets injured, unless the local paper does a feature there is never any information put out so we all sit he wondering what on earth went wrong?



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Futures level

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I followed Eleanor very closely at the time - there was a period she was at the Kim Clijsters academy too, if memory serves. Very exciting to see her back - such a natural talent.

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