British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

emmsie69 · Masters Series Champion

RE: Week 43 - ITF W35 Brisbane, Australia - Hard

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

emmsie69 wrote:
paulisi wrote:
indiana wrote:
It remains a big ask for Katie, but the points are certainly there in this and the following 4 Australian events to theoretically make Aus Open Q with plenty to spare. But it needs continuing big performances, probably improving performances as the events ramp up.

She is up to 201 points by reaching the final here. If she wins it she goes to 213 points.

Aus Open Q cut-off probably won't be a million miles away from say 320 points - ie a further 107 points on from where she'd be with a title win here.

We then have in Australia:
From 27/10: Brisbane W35
From 10/11: Brisbane W50
From 17/11: Sydney W75
From 24/11: Playford W75

So 4 tournaments ( the first 2 which Katie is entered for and the other 2 which she quite probably will be entered for ) with maximum total points of 235 points, all concluding well before the Aus Open Q ranking cut-off date ( 22/12/25 ). I wonder where else she could go in the further 3 weeks

235 is a lot more than 107 so possible? - clearly yes. How likely? - in the eye of the beholder. Even RUs and SFs are fairly big drop offs from the maximum with SFs less than half the points. And I can see an argument that 'just' SFs in the W50 and W75s would be going some.

I know some folk have been more of the view that it is just great to see her back and continue to build towards 2026. Myself and I saw emmsie were two saying more than a month ago why not have Aus Open Q as a possible goal. Since then we have had good performances, wins and points, we've also had Darwin heat issues. But it still remains that time is moving on, so without jeopardising her ongoing recovery, iff she is fit and well enough, then just why not at least have it in her thoughts ...
I know they mentioned 220 ranking on comms, but in my head it is 250 as last direct entry, which is 300pts. There are loads of injuries, people who won't travel or people who have retired, plus wildcards.
I remember Katie being next in one year and missing out so 225 is my ball park, anything after that and you're in the lap of the gods.

Agreed, 104 and 225 are probably the baselines to work with in most slams.

B00thy · County player

Just woke up to find that Katie's match curtailed by rain, after playing the SF in the large indoor stadium

Seems bizarre

Lambda · Top national player

B00thy wrote:
Just woke up to find that Katie's match curtailed by rain, after playing the SF in the large indoor stadium

Seems bizarre

Covered, not indoor.

There back on court doing pre-match warm ups with their coaches while staff dry the back of the court with towels.

indiana · Tennis legend

Katie was an early break down in the third set when play was suspended.

6-2 6-7(5) 0-1* (15-0*)

She was up 2 breaks in the second set at *4-1 so in a very strong position before Tian won 4 games in a row. She was also 4-2* up in the TB.

Pity to have gone that early break down in the third but plenty time to recover and hopefully she can regain the momentum after the break in proceedings.

emmsie69 · Masters Series Champion

The rain was torrential and coming through the sides.

B00thy · County player

Thanks folks. I think of Australia as dry but when I went there on one of my two trips, I think it was in November ..

We travelled from Perth/Freemantle to Alice for the Red Centre to Melbourne, then Sydney to somewhere is Queensland I don't remember .. all in the course of 10 days .. and it rained every day, including when we arrived in the Red Centre to walk up what was then called Ayers Rock (where it hadn't rained for 6 months before the Brits brought the rain)

B00thy · County player

Just tuned into the match and Katie is serving like a very sick person ..

B00thy · County player

I think just fulfilling her obligation as it's the fina. She was just bent over in pain

B00thy · County player

It's over. I could have returned her serves she was so ill

Tennpar · Club Coach

Only caught the last few games, but Katie looked really unwell cry

indiana · Tennis legend

F:- Fangran Tian (CHN) WR436 [7] beat Katie Swan (GBR) WR348 [4] by 2-6 7-6(5) 6-1

indiana · Tennis legend

Was Katie looking ill before the break in play?

foobarbaz · Club Coach

indiana wrote:
Was Katie looking ill before the break in play?

I only skimmed through the end of the 2nd set from Swan being 4-1 up. It did seem that there might not be much left in the tank, her opponent was retrieving well and extending the rallies, and even though Swan had opportunities to get to one game away from the win, it seemed to be slipping away. It's a pity, because the win was so close, but to get to the final, and beat Preston yesterday, in the hot and humid conditions of Brisbane, was a really good effort after coming back from heat illness a week or two before.

indiana · Tennis legend

Thanks, foobarbaz.

Such a pity and must put the coming week's Brisbane in some doubt.