UK Pro League 2023

the addict · Tennis legend

RE: UK Pro League 2023

the addict · Tennis legend

Final:- Katie Stresnakova def Elena Malygina 3-6 7-6(4) 12-10
5th/6th Eliz Maloney def Andre Lukosiute 4-6 6-3 10-5

Michelle retired against Adeola in her RR 9-12th place. That makes four retirements out of the six matches played today.

LordBrownof · Futures level

Yes, Liam and Eden are together.

the addict · Tennis legend

Mens Final
Anton Matusevich def Aidan McHugh 76(6) 6-3

3/4 Henry Searle def Ben Jones 7-6(3) 6-4

Madadman · Masters Series Champion

Coup Droit wrote:
Congrats to Katie Stresnakova on taking the women's title

Did someone say a little whil back that Katie and Liam Broady were/are an item ? Am I making that up?

I think Katie and Julian Cash might be together.

BradMarx90 · County player

Can someone explain to me why non-British players are eligible to participate in this competition? Is the entry criteria that players need to be based/training in the UK, rather than representing Britain on the tour? The Women's finalists were Slovakian and Estonian, and it seems a shame for an event that's supposed to promote and support British tennis to end up being won by non-British players. I have nothing against the ladies, of course, but just writing up the weekly report for my local paper and wanted to give some context as to how they're eligible.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The money tournaments in France are all open to non-French players.

Same in other countries, I think.

So, I don't know what the rules are for the UK Pro League but, to me, it seems normal to have an open door policy

the addict · Tennis legend

I may be wrong, but I think Katie is a student at Loughborough. Not sure about Elena though.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

The Uk pro league website says the following - suggesting it is certainly planned to be just for British players!

THE FORMAT

Bringing together the UKs top Professional Tennis Players, the UK Pro League (formerly the UK Pro Series) is a season-long competition to crown Britains men and women Champions.

Running across 7 separate weeks from January through to November, each week players compete in a round robin format and play-offs to secure League Ranking Points as they endeavour to qualify for the end of season UK Pro League Finals.

MORE ABOUT THE FORMAT

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THE PLAYERS

The UK Pro League is the only domestic league for the top UK Tennis Professionals and is the only place where the group will come together to compete against each other in a season-long competition.

With prize money of £500K, the League provides the opportunity for the UKs best to compete in a purely domestic format.

For the tennis fan this is a unique opportunity to get to know the characters that exist within the British game. With players from diverse backgrounds and with vastly differing styles and personalities, the competition creates a whole host of season-long rivalries.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Clearly this was written for last year as it mentions 7 events but I think it always pushed the intent to be a Brits event- certainly on the womens side, that has changed !

Lambda · Challenger level

I'm fairly sure I read last year, around about the week 2 event when there were a number of overseas players, that their usual rule was that 1 overseas player was allowed. But I can't find that news article now to confirm I'm not misremembering or making it up. Whether their definition of overseas is not GB resident or not GB nationality, I don't know.

With respect, if you're writing for it to be published, shouldn't you be asking the organisers rather than a bunch of strangers on an Internet forum?

ETA: I think I found it. It said in week 1 last year Vasilescu (Rou) was the 1 permitted 'guest' player.

-- Edited by Lambda on Sunday 8th of January 2023 07:08:15 AM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Lambda wrote:
I'm fairly sure I read last year, around about the week 2 event when there were a number of overseas players, that their usual rule was that 1 overseas player was allowed. But I can't find that news article now to confirm I'm not misremembering or making it up. Whether their definition of overseas is not GB resident or not GB nationality, I don't know.

With respect, if you're writing for it to be published, shouldn't you be asking the organisers rather than a bunch of strangers on an Internet forum?
ETA: I think I found it. It said in week 1 last year Vasilescu (Rou) was the 1 permitted 'guest' player.

-- Edited by Lambda on Sunday 8th of January 2023 07:08:15 AM

And one guest is now several in the womens side - which is fine but it changes the narrative. In my post above , they say it is to crown Britains mens and womens champions. Cool, I get that. But that cant be the case now if we have several guests. So what is the aim of this event now?

Lambda · Challenger level

I get the point, but to be fair, I think Malygina (4 weeks and last years champion) , A Vasilescu (4 weeks Inc finals week) , M Vasilescu (1 week as alt) and Samavati (1 week) are the only non-GB players to have played who have not played for or are affiliated with a GB club, county or university and that week 2 and finals week last year are the only weeks in which more than 1 of them have played. All played week 2 last year. So perhaps there has been a move to being a member of club/county/uni here rather than being a GB national plus 1 guest, at least on the women's side. I don't have a problem with that. And let's be honest, filling the women's draw with home players of a suitable standard has been difficult through either a lack of depth or interest.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Yes, it's not clear even from the original one whether they mean British residents or British nationals
And Lambda makes a good point, ask the organisers

And let us know

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Lambda wrote:
I get the point, but to be fair, I think Malygina (4 weeks and last years champion) , A Vasilescu (4 weeks Inc finals week) , M Vasilescu (1 week as alt) and Samavati (1 week) are the only non-GB players to have played who have not played for or are affiliated with a GB club, county or university and that week 2 and finals week last year are the only weeks in which more than 1 of them have played. All played week 2 last year. So perhaps there has been a move to being a member of club/county/uni here rather than being a GB national plus 1 guest, at least on the women's side. I don't have a problem with that. And let's be honest, filling the women's draw with home players of a suitable standard has been difficult through either a lack of depth or interest.

Agreed and I dont have any issues either. I guess it just plays to my sense of a need for narrative in tennis generally to know what something is standing for. The UKPL appeared to do that but if it is now a pro circuit to find champion British domiciled players, that is totally cool.