Vote from the list below - and if you vote, please say who you vote and why, it really does make it more interesting for the other people looking at the thread!
Top 2 players plus ties also qualify for next week's Player of the Season, so it is a big one and last chance saloon for many of these!
The vote will close in exactly 48 hours, so 4.33pm Monday 29th December
Nominations List:
1. Edie Griffiths (age 16) - seeded 5th in singles, came through to take the J100 singles and doubles titles at Loughborough in week 48, her first titles in both disciplines at J100 level
2. Mika Stojsavljevic (age 16) - came through qualies, ran all the way to the semis of the W100 in Dubai, beating Kraus (ranked 109) as well as WR168 Iatcenko before losing a tight 3 set semi with Zvonareva. Also reached the doubles semis. This was her first W100 semi and a great week for her. Takes her rankings at 08/12 to singles - WR 298, GB #11, U17 #1, U18 #7, and doubles - WR 462, GB #25, U17 #1, U18 #5.
3. Team GB Students - For winning the Master'U BNP Paribas defeating favourites USA 4-3 in the final ending USA's 5 title streak on the competition stretching back to 2018. Team was Finn Murgett, Jamie Connel, Ollie Okonkwo, Grace Piper, Eliz Maloney and Sofia Johnson
4. Hollie Smart (age16) - very good week in the Bradenton J300. Reached the QF, beating (3) Luna Maria Cinalli JWR 17 and in-form.(15) Iva Marinkovic JWR 53. Hollie is up 9 places to JWR 76 in the 08/12 rankings.
5. Mimi Xu (age 18) - reached the SF of a W50 in Italy, her 2nd successive W50 SF, beating the top seed Jana Fett WR 197 in the QF, thus rising to a a CH 234 on 08/12.
6. Eliz Maloney, (having completely re-vamped her forehand during the Autumn) was part of the British team which won the World Master U Student Games beating the normally unbeatable US team in the final. A few days later Eliz was back at Loughborough and successfully defended her British Tour Masters title with wins against two world-ranked players-Freya Christie and Tegan Bush.
7. Katy Dunne - in only her fourth tournament back from injury after three months out Katy reached the final of the W35 in Sharm from qualifying, beating three seeds on the way, including the top seed Tara Wuerth WR243. With 24 points from the tournament this has given Katy a massive jump in the rankings from 847 before the tournament to WR674.
8. Brooke Black - the recently turned 18 year old won her first (I believe) international adult tournament (ITFs/UTRs) with the 25K UTR Pro Tennis Tour tournament in Boca Raton defeating WTA ranked established and graduated top 30 college players in the semi-final and final.
9. Indianna Spink - winner of the 25k+H UTR Pro-Tennis Tour in Carvoeiro, Portugal beating 2 higher WTA ranked and higher UTR rated players in the semi and final , including a top 500 player
10. Family Lumsden - Ewen and Maia conquered the best of Scottish tennis and both won their respective singles titles in the TS Open Tour Finals. Ewen was top seed but Maia had to overcome top seeded Mia Wainwright to win and prove she is not just a doubles star!
Several of the players here could easily be player of the month, but I typically (not always) like to go for a) a winner of a title and b) someone/team which really inspired my emotions more than others c) did it more than once
Not all those boxes get ticked for me, this month, but the ones who stood out and satisfied a) and b) are the Team GB Students - the USA have dominated the World Student event and for GB to come through and take the title was a really delightful surprise!
I'll start popping score overviews up tomorrow evening and then actual scores against names Monday.
For now, just two votes in and overall, the December votes tend to be slower and just a few less than other months. Nonetheless, it feels like a very open month and set of nominees and looking forward to see where this vote goes.
Torn between Mika and the GB Students. Mika's run was very impressive but I went for the GB students as there's so much pressure in team events and they won against overwhelming favourites.
Team GB students . Not the strongest team we could have put out by any means , especially on the men's side so to make the final I thought was on achievement in itself. To win for the first time since 2017 against a very strong US team and break their streak was beyond expectations and a fabulous performance by all.
