Para tennis 2024 thread

AnnaM · Junior player

Para tennis 2024 thread

Tanaqui · Club Coach

Thanks for the news, Anna's dad! Sorry to hear Anna's had back issues and fingers crossed it's all good again for the Queen's tournament. It sounds like a fun event and I'm sure Anna will put in a storming performance if she's fit.

AnnaM · Junior player

Thanks. I expect she will be fine for that. She might not be the best with the serve, but her groundstrokes these last two weeks have been good. They did give her some tips today on how to serve with less pressure on the back. She has had the best two weeks training than she has had for years. So it has been worthwhile coming to Soto.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

AnnaM wrote:
Anna had to miss the grass court events due to a long standing back issue from an injury 6 years ago. Which has recently got worse. A chiropractor is now working with her and has worked out her problems and on how to fix them. Hopefully, she will be OK for the Queens event next week. She has spent the last two weeks at Soto instead. The warm dry weather here has helped a lot and she has been able to train.

The LTA have finally published the Queens article that we have been waiting for. Anna the world number one woman is to compete against men ranked number one, two, three, four and six. It will be a six player KO with a consolation match for 1st round losers. So a lot depends on the draw and it is obviously tough to play against the top men. But Anna has always wanted to compete against the men and is looking forward to it.

There is also to be a box group doubles event with three teams. I am not sure on how they will decide the pairings. GB V OZ, or based on UTR, or something else.

www.lta.org.uk/fan-zone/cinch-championships/news/2024-wheelchair-and-learning-disability-exhibitions-set-to-shine-spotlight-on-disability-tennis/

Anna's dad

Hi Anna's Dad - has a draw been made yet for Anna's events? And presumably still planned to start on Friday?

AnnaM · Junior player

Hi, well the age old LTA problems of little information, little communication and not replying to emails. I sent an email on Monday with no reply and both Anna sent emails earlier this year with no reply. This is happening to most of those selected (one had two emails over the last two weeks ignored) and only select favourites get a reply. We are all in the dark and everyone is exasperated, if not very annoyed. The LTA really need to start being more respectful of players and parents. We have no idea of who is seeded, the draw, or who plays with who in the doubles. Although, the Oz players have been told that they will play together. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen. But it does seem unfair and very counter productive to allow them to know their pairing. They have practiced doubles/singles for the last two weeks on the grass in Brisbane. While we will find out too late to practice doubles and as for training on grass... Anna asked about using the Nottingham grass courts, but they are not being released for public playing until at least next week. Hard and clay court training is not the best preparation for playing on grass.

So, we are supposed to be on court 5 playing two days from now, but have no information whatsoever.

I am sure you have heard all this about the LTA before.

-- Edited by AnnaM on Wednesday 19th of June 2024 12:51:38 PM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Hi - that is so frustrating and downright rude and inconsiderate of the organisers. Surely you should have an idea of the overall plan well in advance; they even have it on their website loud and clear as something they are promoting.

It is the LTA - why are we not surprised?

Hope it works itself out over the next few hours

AnnaM · Junior player

Thanks.

We are still waiting and I expect we will find out on Friday morning 30 minutes before the first match.

Tanaqui · Club Coach

Sorry (if not very surprised) to hear the LTA is treating you so shabbily. I hope you hear something sooner than 30 minutes before the first match?

(I should imagine you wouldn't want to rock the boat, but I'd very much like to see one of the better newspaper tennis correspondents pick up on this. The LTA apparently wants the credit from appearing to promote/champion inclusive tennis without actually treating the players like everyone else.)

AnnaM · Junior player

Thanks.

That seems to be how things look.

At 16:25pm we have finally received the information that we should have had a while ago. One of the things is to wear the GB kit. Anna left for London on Monday evening with no GB kit. I am flying down tomorrow with hand luggage. You just cannot make it up. Still no reply to my email though.

AnnaM · Junior player

Draws and order of play attached.

-- Edited by AnnaM on Wednesday 19th of June 2024 03:58:31 PM

AnnaM · Junior player

Matches moved to court 3. Probably due to the impossible scheduling of three matches starting from 11:15am. There is a main draw men's doubles match on court 5 starting at 2pm..

www.atptour.com/en/scores/current/london/311/daily-schedule

AnnaM · Junior player

It turns out that the Australians have spent three weeks full training on the grass in Brisbane with coaches from Tennis Australia. The weather in the UK has meant that none of the GB has had any grass training and no coaching. All of a sudden today was extra hot and sunny. So timing, bounce and the speed of the ball was a problem for us. The two Australian players even got invited to the NTC yesterday to train. No such luck for the GB players who were left to fend for themselves. The Australians even have two coaches with them to our none. So not a level playing field.

Anna competed well in the first set, but a number of bad line calls from the chair umpire, who was calling the service and base lines, cost her on key points and she lost it 6-3. Her opponent served very well and the pressure told and she lost the 2nd set 6-1.

The Australians and some of the spectators knew Anna was getting some dodgy decisions and mentioned it. Anna's opponent Mitch even conceded a point later on in set 2., when it was clear Anna did not double fault, but it was too late by then.

Queens is a very nice event and it is nice to have access to the players lounge. So we are being looked after very well here. Anna should have two doubles and a singles to play over the next two days.

Dominic beat Ollie 6-4 6-2 in the first match, after Ollie slipped and suffered a slight hamstring tear.

In the doubles despite being 5-0 down, Fab and Ollie beat the Oz players 3-6 6-3 10-6.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Great Anna enjoyed it and hopefully with one match under her belt she can do some damage in her next match!

Thanks for the update and enjoy the experience - did Anna meet any of the pro players !?

Jan · Hall of fame

Thanks for all that info!
Do hope the rest of the weekend goes well and is enjoyable for Anna!

Tanaqui · Club Coach

Thanks for the report! I'm sorry there's been some dodgy umpiring and that it's not been a level playing field in terms of preparation (because the Aussies got given an appropriate level of support and the Brits didn't) but I hope Anna is enjoying meeting the other players and spending time at Queens, and that now she's had a chance to get to grips with the conditions, she can have a better expeience in her next games.