J100 is an attractive level for a lot of our well-ranked players
The first round of qualis took place today
The only real match of note was that 2009-born 13 year-old Hollie Smart (the LTA's pick, after Hannah who is a different league entirely) is playing her first ITF event. She won today 6-0 6-1
GIRLS: MiaPohankova (SVK); Leticia Romanova; Aimee Knowles; Sarah Copley
I hae a soft spot for Leticia - I like her play, her ability; her physique - and (just gut feeling) I don't think life has dealt her a silver spoon so she's got my support
There are four wildcards in the girls that go to: Tegan Bush; Elizabeth Evans; Ciara Moore; Heidi Crncan
Well done to 14 year-old wildcard, Tegan Bush, for beating Brooke Black
And 14 year-old Leticia Romanova (the girl I mentioned I follow) who won her match too
And Giulia Lesa (who has an intersting style of game, great use of legs and low centre of balance, but a little whippy in the arms) who chalked up a very nice win over the 7th seed
(Disappointment though for Daniela Piani who was seeded 4 but lost against a Slovakian qualifier)
-- Edited by Coup Droit on Monday 13th of March 2023 11:25:24 PM
The 'shock' news is that top seed, Henry Searle, got beaten by some pretty lowly ranked French player (but French kids often don't play much ITF junior stuff, as they don't need to, and so are falsely ranked, so well possible that applies here)
My little fave, Dilhan, got another win.
Mark Ceban put up a very good effort but lost in two tiebreaks to Kyle McKay, seeded 5
Well done to Ilias Worthington who beat the Polish 6th seed
There are also quite a lot the other way round i.e. young GB players with strong French connections: Arthur Féry, Georgina Hays, Hugo Coquelin (I've never actually read anything about any French family but he must have, with a name like that, surely? ) ...
I guess it's because our two countries are so close and there's a lot of movement between the two (less now, of course, but ......)