Week 3 - ITF W35 Sunderland, GB - Indoor Hard

DF · Tennis legend

Week 3 - ITF W35 Sunderland, GB - Indoor Hard

DF · Tennis legend

the addict wrote:
Todays results. No surprises amongst the Brits, apart from Francesca coming through when her opponent retired.

QR1:- Urszula Radwanska (POL) WR485 [1] def Hannah Rylatt UNR/1555 17yo (GBR) 7-5 6-0
QR1:- Isabella Barrera Aguirre (USA) 1113 [16] def Aimee Knowles (GBR) UNR/1659 16yo (WC) 4-6 6-3 10-5

QR1:- Amandine Monnot (FRA) WR504 [2] def Ella McDonald WR1214 (GBR) 6-4 6-1
QR1:- Freya Christie (GBR) WR642 [10] def Holly Hutchinson (GBR) WR1239 6-2 6-2

QR1:- Iulia Bucea (CAN) WR1132 def Caijsa Wilda Hennemann (SWE) WR524 [3] 6-2 7-6(4)
QR1:- Emily Seibold (GER) WR678 [11] def Abigail Amos (GBR) WR1126 6-2 6-1

QR1:- Jasmijn Gimbrere (NED) WR527 [4] def Amelie Brooks (GBR) UNR/1659 17yo (WC) 7-6(4) 6-3
QR1:- Carmen Lopez Martinez (ESP) WR1046 18yo [15] def Ava Williamson (GBR) UNR/1767 17yo (WC) 6-4 6-1

QR1:- Katarina Stresnakova (SVK) WR536 [5] def Georgia Kalamaris (FRA) WR1246 17yo 6-1 6-0
QR1:- Francesca Simpson (GBR) UNR/UNR 16yo (WC) def Katarina Jokic (SRB) WR619 [9] 5-1 retired

QR1:- Adithya Karunaratne (HKG) WR548 [6] def Aryana Bartlett (GBR) WR1332 18yo 6-2 6-0
QR1:- Anouck Vrancken Peeters (NED) WR937 [14] def Summer Yardley (GBR) UNR/258 6-2 6-3

QR1:- Eliz Maloney (GBR) WR598 [7] def Allegra Korpanec Davies (GBR) UNR/1648 16yo (WC) 6-4 6-2
QR1:- Ekaterina Kazionova (***) WR856 [13] def Jana Vanik (GER) WR1295 6-3 6-1

QR1:- Hikaru Sato (JPN) WR605 [8] def Lucia Cassidy (GBR) UNR/1633 16yo 6-3 6-0
QR1:- Magdalini Adaloglou (GRE) WR1127 def Julie Belgraver (FRA) WR823 [12] 3-6 6-2 10-8

So just three through to the FQR

FQR:- Amandine Monnot (FRA) WR504 [2] v Freya Christie (GBR) WR642 [10]

FQR:- Katarina Stresnakova (SVK) WR536 [5] v Francesca Simpson (GBR) UNR/UNR 16yo (WC)

FQR:- Eliz Maloney (GBR) WR598 [7] v Ekaterina Kazionova (***) WR856 [13]

Well done the A. I was much too slow.

the addict · Tennis legend

I waited until Lucia's match finished - everything else was typed up in Word ready to post.

Deucebag · Intermediate Club Player

Holy Cremoly
I dont think Ive seen I draw where there has been that many British players involved and the only 3 that came through were a retirement as well as two matches where two Brits faced off against each other.
I havent seen any of the play at Sunderland today, but there are continuously disappointing results from players who have been quite well thought of in the past.
I know, you never know what some of these players could be going through in their lives, so its hard for us to judge from here but if you are lucky enough to be given opportunities you need to take them at some point or other.

the addict · Tennis legend

Deucebag wrote:
Holy Cremoly
I dont think Ive seen I draw where there has been that many British players involved and the only 3 that came through were a retirement as well as two matches where two Brits faced off against each other.
I havent seen any of the play at Sunderland today, but there are continuously disappointing results from players who have been quite well thought of in the past.
I know, you never know what some of these players could be going through in their lives, so its hard for us to judge from here but if you are lucky enough to be given opportunities you need to take them at some point or other.

Look at the ranking differences though. With two exceptions (+ Francesca) all those who won today were higher ranked than their opponents and most were ranked in the top 600. Some of the sets looked pretty close (for example Amelie took the first set to a tie-break and broke serve twice in that set). And 7 of the Brits were juniors, most of which I had hardly heard of outside of the British Tour and ITF juniors.

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, to be fair all 9 of the Brits that lost to peskies were unseeded and lost to qualifying seeds ( 3 are ranked though lower than WR 1200 and played players in the top 700, the other 6 are unranked with some as TA indicates, very inexperienced. ).

I think it is fair to say that if you looked at any particular one of these 9 it would have been quite a shock if they had won.

Though yes it is probably reasonable to randomly look for one or two of the 9 to come through rather than all 9 to lose with just the one set won

So I'd say a bit disappointing but in context not awful.

Nix · Futures level

Yes it's hard also due to the disparity of ranking levels across the same level of tournaments across the world.

Comparing three different W35 tournaments (recent or current)

US W35 has the qualifying 1 seed WR838
Guadeloupe W35 has qualifying 1 seed WR714
Sunderland W35 has qualifying 1 seed WR485.

Eleven out of the players in qualifying in Sunderland would have made the main draw in Guadeloupe. GB tournaments just tend to attract higher level players, presumably because the distance to travel for players based in Europe is much less than if you are travelling around the US or Asia.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The question here might be, yet again, why the LTA lay on no W15s.

There are a lot of players here, and in the other higher events, who would be very suited to W15s.

I agree with the people above who say you can't really have regrets about the results today - the GB players were rank outsiders (although, of course, you can always hope for an upset here or there)

But a W15 would really give them the chance to play at the right target level - in order to then make it up to the next level, i.e. today's level

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, well said again CD.

The domestic W35s, like the W25s before them, look likely to continue to mean facing ranked players, probably top 1000 in qualifying. Here the q8 seed was last Monday WR 605, ie. that's the section with the lowest ranked main seed - really the unranked Brits here had little realistic chance to win a qualifying rpund and certainly for any of these to come through two rounds and qualify was a huge ask

Just a few W15s would be good rather than having to go to foreign lands for such W15 opportunities or possibly weaker W35s.

Deucebag · Intermediate Club Player

Coup Droit wrote:
The question here might be, yet again, why the LTA lay on no W15s.

There are a lot of players here, and in the other higher events, who would be very suited to W15s.

I agree with the people above who say you can't really have regrets about the results today - the GB players were rank outsiders (although, of course, you can always hope for an upset here or there)

But a W15 would really give them the chance to play at the right target level - in order to then make it up to the next level, i.e. today's level

I suppose, when you look at it like that, yes, most of the players in the draw would be better off playing an entry-level w15 but you are right they should be at least 2 or 3 in the uk (as we are a grand nation) And they should not have to fly to Tunisia or Egypt to start their way up the ladder.

But you do expect Top juniors on a psp programme to do a little better than they have been doing as there are some very talented kids out there who dont come anywhere near an opportunity to be put on any kind of program.

Lambda · Challenger level

But deucebag, there are very few top juniors on the PSP or any other top LTA programme here. There is only Ella on the PSP and Hannah Rylatt at a National Academy are on a LTA development program. There's nobody else here that as far as I'm aware is supported by the LTA.

On the PSP there is Jodie, Mimi and Hannah K (Hannah just been promoted to the programme this year, unsurprisingly) all in Australia and Sonay in the main draw here. On the MWP there is Ranah in the main draw here and Isabelle in Australia. The remaining girls at the National Academy are either in Australia (Hep, Mika), in Glasgow (Daniella, Hollie, Ruby) or, presumably injured (Talia, Abby Kelliher). Abby is from the other side of the Tyne so I would have expected here to play here if fit.

As for the wider conversation on why don't the LTA hold W15s. Let me be devil's advocate for a second. It's been pretty clear for several years now the LTA's mindset is to focus their professional player resources on those that have the potential to reach the top 100 rather than create a big pool of players to increase the chances of having top players emerging from unexpected places. The view may be if you've got that potential to get to the top 100 you should be competitive at W35 qualifying. It may be the LTA want to discourage players that will never make it from spending a fortune chasing dreams that they will never achieve and, for those without the resources, putting themselves in financial hardship, as the ITF tried to do with the changes a few years ago. The LTA would rather have a healthy domestic programme for those players with the best on the domestic scene being given opportunities at international events. Furthermore, W15s in the UK are likely to be strong and as only the last 16 will get WTA ranking points, they offer a poor return on investment.

This is just one potential view on the lack of 15ks, it may not be the LTAs and it isn't necessarily my view.

-- Edited by Lambda on Monday 15th of January 2024 07:47:39 AM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

They are arguable points but not convincing (to me

)

the addict · Tennis legend

Sonay withdrew yesterday - she was top of the acceptance list.

the addict · Tennis legend

FQR:- Katarina Stresnakova (SVK) WR536 [5] def Francesca Simpson (GBR) UNR/UNR 16yo (WC) 6-3 6-2

the addict · Tennis legend

FQR:- Eliz Maloney (GBR) WR598 [7] def Ekaterina Kazionova (***) WR856 [13] 6-1 7-6(1)

FQR:- Freya Christie (GBR) WR642 [10] def Amandine Monnot (FRA) WR504 [2] 6-3 7-6(5) smile