British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

the addict · Tennis legend

RE: Week 15 - 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Playoffs, The Hague, Netherlands - Indoor Clay

Brendan F · Intermediate Club Player

JonH comes home wrote:
Brendan F wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
9vicman wrote:
The new rankings moved us up to No. 2. The rankings are based on a team's four year performance in BJKC with recent years counting more. A lot of leading nations failed to progress from the Qualifiers to Britain's advantage.
Thanks - a bit of a blow for the host nation, China, to get the top ranked Italians in the opening match. Organisers probably would have wished that had not happened
If they need crowds to turn up it's easier to do it in an authoritarian country, so I don't think the home team's progress or lack thereof matters that much
Mmm. Not sure weve seen that at last Chinese events though, crowds clearly arent pushed into turning up and Im not sure it works that way?!
my concern is once China are out, crowds will be small as it is a long way for non Chinese fans to travel, and probably expensive. I wonder how many British fans will fly out there for GB v Japan and ongoing? Anyone thinking of it, be interested to see?

I said if they need to. I was thinking back to the Beijing Olympics when they'd fill out the stadium with schoolkids. I guess this isn't high profile enough that they have the same urgency but if, as you say, the crowds will be small anyway would the Chinese team still being in make any real difference?

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Brendan F wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Brendan F wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
9vicman wrote:
The new rankings moved us up to No. 2. The rankings are based on a team's four year performance in BJKC with recent years counting more. A lot of leading nations failed to progress from the Qualifiers to Britain's advantage.
Thanks - a bit of a blow for the host nation, China, to get the top ranked Italians in the opening match. Organisers probably would have wished that had not happened
If they need crowds to turn up it's easier to do it in an authoritarian country, so I don't think the home team's progress or lack thereof matters that much
Mmm. Not sure weve seen that at last Chinese events though, crowds clearly arent pushed into turning up and Im not sure it works that way?!
my concern is once China are out, crowds will be small as it is a long way for non Chinese fans to travel, and probably expensive. I wonder how many British fans will fly out there for GB v Japan and ongoing? Anyone thinking of it, be interested to see?
I said if they need to. I was thinking back to the Beijing Olympics when they'd fill out the stadium with schoolkids. I guess this isn't high profile enough that they have the same urgency but if, as you say, the crowds will be small anyway would the Chinese team still being in make any real difference?

I think the host nation makes a difference in these things if they are competitive and involved in the latter stages; press attention and excitement is higher. Obviously their own matches will get decent crowds anyway, most likely, but whilst they are in it draws more general attention.

but, as said, dont think the crowds out in China will be that high in general, I agree.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Great draw and absolutely incredible we are now #2 in the rankings. What an achievement (although I know noone really cares haha).

A full strength team in Shenzhen has a good opportunity I think.

9vicman · Futures qualifying

GB have announced an initial shortlist of four players for the finals: Boulter, Kartal, Raducanu, Burrage. A fifth player can be added, and up to four players can be changed.

indiana · Tennis legend

9vicman wrote:
GB have announced an initial shortlist of four players for the finals: Boulter, Kartal, Raducanu, Burrage. A fifth player can be added, and up to four players can be changed.

Interesting ( though as you say much could be changed ).

Jodie's singies may have generally disappointed of late but her doubles partnership with Katie in The Hague was a revelation and I see that Olivia is not currently named.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Yeah I guess they like the options of Katie/Jodie and Sonay/Jodie for doubles.

It's indoors right? I suppose that maybe angles you slightly more to Katie over Sonay to play singles with Emma. And Jodie plays doubles with whoever is not playing singles (having experience with both). But that assumes Katie ups her level over the US swing.

-- Edited by PaulM on Monday 21st of July 2025 01:31:21 PM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

PaulM wrote:
Yeah I guess they like the options of Katie/Jodie and Sonay/Jodie for doubles.

It's indoors right? I suppose that maybe angles you slightly more to Katie over Sonay to play singles with Emma. And Jodie plays doubles with whoever is not playing singles (having experience with both). But that assumes Katie ups her level over the US swing.

-- Edited by PaulM on Monday 21st of July 2025 01:31:21 PM

noting also that katie and Emma played together recently on the grass as well, at Queens.

I guess they have several options there in those 4 players and dont really need a fifth - whatever her ranking is, I think it would be hard to argue that Liv is actually better than the 4 singles players at doubles.

PaulM · Tennis legend

Id take Mimi again as fifth if timing works around her schedule or any education stuff she's still doing.

The format being best of 3 means that core 4 provides sufficient options across singles and doubles, and if someone has to play a singles and doubles it's not really a massive output.

dodrade · Futures qualifying

JonH comes home wrote:
PaulM wrote:
Yeah I guess they like the options of Katie/Jodie and Sonay/Jodie for doubles.

It's indoors right? I suppose that maybe angles you slightly more to Katie over Sonay to play singles with Emma. And Jodie plays doubles with whoever is not playing singles (having experience with both). But that assumes Katie ups her level over the US swing.

-- Edited by PaulM on Monday 21st of July 2025 01:31:21 PM
noting also that katie and Emma played together recently on the grass as well, at Queens.
I guess they have several options there in those 4 players and dont really need a fifth - whatever her ranking is, I think it would be hard to argue that Liv is actually better than the 4 singles players at doubles.

I'd take Fran to boost morale even if she didn't play.

indiana · Tennis legend

PaulM wrote:
Id take Mimi again as fifth if timing works around her schedule or any education stuff she's still doing.

The format being best of 3 means that core 4 provides sufficient options across singles and doubles, and if someone has to play a singles and doubles it's not really a massive output.

You never know what might occur during the week, and there has clearly been some injury issues among those 4 named, including spasmodic episodes. Take the best player you can as cover. IMO at this stage that certainly isn't Mimi.

telstar · Club Coach

I think Jodie is somewhat fortunate to be in the squad and that she owesher position to one result. Fran is definitely a better singles player and Heather is arguably a better doubles player.

emmsie69 · Top national player

9vicman wrote:
GB have announced an initial shortlist of four players for the finals: Boulter, Kartal, Raducanu, Burrage. A fifth player can be added, and up to four players can be changed.

So it could be a completely different team at the Finals.

-- Edited by emmsie69 on Saturday 26th of July 2025 05:24:44 AM

9vicman · Futures qualifying

telstar wrote:
I think Jodie is somewhat fortunate to be in the squad and that she owesher position to one result. Fran is definitely a better singles player and Heather is arguably a better doubles player.

I think Heather has and can play good doubles if playing with a hard hitter, and even won a couple of matches at the Olympics with Katie. But that loss in Malaga with Olivia really harmed both players in terms of being picked in 2025. And talking of Olivia, she didn't play great in the 2025 Qualifiers either (albeit with Harriet on clay).

Against a Japanese team of say Aoyama and Shibahara, I still see Anne K picking an all singles pairing.

emmsie69 · Top national player

If Katie Swan continues to make progress and stay fit, I'd take her (if she wanted to play)
IMO She 's the player after Emma with the most potential.