Can't happen this week unless Maia loses her next match and Heather wins the tournament. And Heather will miss a week with the BJK cup. No idea what their plans are this month.
So Maia did lose and Heather is still in the hunt - but she still needs the additional 131 points (on top of the 29 she has already gained) to become GB #1.
Heather was really strong today! Against two players playing (serving) well above their rankings, Hev stepped up and was dominant on both serve and return. Sabrina looked somewhat weak, not for the first time in these past two weeks, but a strong match tiebreak from both was a great way to finish!
Perhaps the time has come for Heather to make doubles her priority, might help her keep her place in the BJK Cup squad.
I hope she doesn't.
Anyway I doubt keeping a place in the BJK Cup squad would be near the top of her priorities in deciding whether to continue concentrating on singles.
Surely much more about what she wants to be doing over the whole year, of which BJK Cup is really a very small part.
Though FWIW she probably justifies a place purely for her doubles anyway. whether it is her priority or not ( and even if specialists are higher ranked ) and however her singles is going.
Yeah Heather is perfectly capable of getting back into the top 100 in the next 12 months if she wants to keep playing, and she isn't in a place where the disparity between rankings is such it would stop her playing both week to week (as happens to girls with singles rankings outside the top 400/500 but top 150 doubles rankings).
I suspect she'll be more successful in doubles for the remainder of her career, but I don't think she needs to focus on it really.
The thing for someone like Heather is, she isnt going deep in singles every week, so combining playing singles and supplemented with a healthy level of doubles play a) wouldnt be difficult or tiring or that distracting and b) help the bank balance I would assume
Singles first for sure but doubles as well where possible, why not!?
Thats a shame for Heather. BJK Cup next? Do we think Heather will play anymore post BJK Cup or is she done - and Maia will get year end doubles top spot if Naiktha is done also?
There are seven more WTA125 events to play this year - four on clay in South America and three indoors in France/Andorra. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Brits in the European ones, so this may not be settled until after Limoges (December 11th - 17th)
There are seven more WTA125 events to play this year - four on clay in South America and three indoors in France/Andorra. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Brits in the European ones, so this may not be settled until after Limoges (December 11th - 17th)
Oh wow. Lots more to go. I think the mens challenger tour, which this effectively is, closes end Nov so assumed womens did also!