British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Boys & Girls: J100 Loughborough, GB - indoor hard (Week 49)

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
An interesting event, this one, especially for the girls
GIRLS
Gace Watson and April Sackflame have both got SEs into the main draw here - but Milica hasn't (she has a wildcard) which doesn't make sense (to me)
April and Grace both lost in the SF in singles (and neither did well in doubles) at Stirling so, for them, the logic must be because of the dates - Stirling was a 'late' event and didn't finish till Sunday so the semis were Saturday which is when Loughborough qualis started
BUT Milica made the final - so why didn't she get a SE?
One way or another, all the Loughborough girls (including Liv Zingg) are in the main draw, and only used up one wildcard, which is good, but I'm obviously missing something ....
Anyway, there are a lot of our very promising youngsters taking part. Annabel Wong, last week's winner, in Stirling is not here though. But the young Pakistani / UAE / Saudi (links to all, has played for two, I think) girl who has created headlines in the last couple of years is playing.
Top seeds: Iulia Buculei, Haniya Aman Minhas, Aleksandra Barmicheva, Sophie Bekker
SEs: April and Grace
WCs: Milica, Lilia Saad, Leah Bush, Tanishka Naveen
LL: Papaya Douvall
Qs: Frankie Tye, Sophie Ryland, Daisy Wooton, EST

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Monday 1st of December 2025 11:09:28 AM

Re SE's - is there not a limit of SE's per event, so only 2 players could get an SE. With 3 candidates, (Milica, Grace and April) they had to give one of them a wildcard to make up for it? Not sure if there are limits on wildcards but maybe they thought it made more strategic sense to give Milica the wildcard and leave the SE's with April and Grace? Or maybe it was just the way the cookie crumbled?

Lambda · Top national player

Where there are more players eligible for a SE at the start of qualifying than places available they are selected in order of ranking.

-- Edited by Lambda on Monday 1st of December 2025 11:33:29 AM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Lambda wrote:
Where there are more players eligible for a SE at the start of qualifying than places available they are selected in order of ranking.

-- Edited by Lambda on Monday 1st of December 2025 11:33:29 AM

So Milica got the wildcard instead as the lower ranked player of the 3?

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Lambda wrote:
Where there are more players eligible for a SE at the start of qualifying than places available they are selected in order of ranking.

-- Edited by Lambda on Monday 1st of December 2025 11:33:29 AM

Many thanks, Lambda

My 'logic' was that Milica would have come first as she was the 'most' entitled to one - but I can see, on refelction, that's not really workable biggrin

Cheers

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

And the girls kick off gloriously !

The top two 'pesky' seeds are beaten

Pui Yin Lung (age 15) def. (1) ROM (age 17) 4-6 7-6(5) 7-5

(a real nailbiter, that one - well done, our girl)

Tanishka Naveen (age 14) def. (2) KSA (age 15) 1-6 7-5 6-3

A win, too, for 14 year-old wildcard Leah Bush, and 4th seed Sophie Bekker

Daisy, Frankie, Sophie R, Papaya and Lilia all lost

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Monday 1st of December 2025 02:41:40 PM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

in the BOYS draw:

Top seeds: Billy Moxon, USA, Rhys Lawlor, USA

SEs: Niall P-Barua, Harrison Mcelnea

WCs: Jan Janda, Max Williams, Isaac Sallu, Alex Mirrington

Qs: Herbie Morris, Casey Unitt, Henry Redfern, SLO

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Unfortunately it also happened the other way round in the boys - top seed Billy Moxon lost very easily to the Slovenian qualifier

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

In the girls, Grace Watson won

But Milica lost, probably mentally and physically tired from exertions of last week, and having to play her final yesterday

this means that:

R2

Pui Yin Lung v FRA

Lara Savic v Edie Griffiths

UZB v GER

Sophia Christodoulou v ITA

DEN v GER

April Sackflame v Sophie Bekker

Grace Watson v Liv Zingg

Leah Bush v Tanishka Naveen

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The GB lads came out the wrong side of all the tight matches

So R2 is:

SLO v EST

Vincent Fletcher v ESP

Jesse Clarkson v USA

Preston Taylor v SUI

Rhys Lawlor v MON

Alex Mirrington v IRL

Harrison Mcelnea v USA

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

GIRLS

In the battle of the Loughborough 14 year-olds, Liv Zingg defeated Grace Watson convincingly, 6-1 6-3

15 year-old Pui Yin confirmed her excellent win yesterday over the top seed, beating the French 17 year-old in two sets

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Girls

And in the other youngster match it's Leah Bush who got bragging rights over Tanishka. April put up a good show against the 4th seed but Sophie was always going to be too strong for her at the moment.

R2

Pui Yin Lung def. FRA 6-4 6-2

Edie Griffiths def. Lara Savic 6-3 7-6(4)

UZB def GER

Sophia Christodoulou def. ITA 6-2 7-5

GER def. DEN

Sophie Bekker def. April Sackflame 6-2 2-6 6-1

Liv Zingg def. Grace Watson 6-1 6-3

Leah Bush def Tanishka Naveen 6-1 7-5

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Vincent lost a real heart-breaker

Rhys and Alex M the only two boys to get through ....

BOYS

R2:

SLO def. EST

ESP def. Vincent Fletcher 3-6 7-6(5) 7-6(8)

USA def. Jesse Clarkson 6-3 6-4

SUI def. Preston Taylor 3-6 6-3 6-4

LIE def. FRA

Rhys Lawlor def. MON 6-3 6-4

Alex Mirrington def. IRL 7-6(3) 7-5

USE def. Harrison Mcelnea 7-6(3) 6-4

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

In the boys QFs, there's been a win for Rhys but a loss for Alex

So Rhys is the last Brit standing in the boys singles

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Liv Zingg reinforcing her claim to 'best 2011-er after Meg'

Having beaten Grace Watson, she beat Leah Bush 7-5 7-5

Edie Griffiths has won by walkover as Pui Yin Lung withdrew (hope she's OK)