Should be a very interesting week. I do like nationals like this. I used to enjoy the nationals at senior level ( ie for the top men and women) back in the day at Telford but understand how it wouldnt fit with todays Tour and schedules. Nonetheless, for the juniors it is a big deal and should be worth following.
Yes, and the boys matches this morning are SO close
Ceban and Janda are now one set all - which is a very fair reflection of the match, with Ceban playing not consistently enough - some superb bits but also trying a bit of everything and not really getting his basic game in place, and Janda playing some very nice tennis, especially at the net, good reflexes, and outswinging serves
Moxon and Williams are also into a third (Billy has an attractive game)
Mcelnea was winning 6-1 5-2 and got pegged all the way back and there's now a third set there too
Lorimer and CLarkson look set for a third set too
Josh Craze has finally got over the line against Mirrington
-- Edited by Coup Droit on Tuesday 7th of April 2026 10:53:57 AM
2nd boys seed, Rhys Lawlor, went out to Liam Channon in his opening match. He plays a fellow unseeded player in the last 8, Archie Gray.
3 of the last 8 are unseeded in the boys.
Hermione is a set up on Ophelia (Ophelia seeded at 3) after winning 7-5. That must be so hard for both of them, but probably for the higher ranked of the two, impossible for Ophelia to really win from this even if she does win (if that makes sense). Whereas Hermione is probably expected to lose.
In the same way they keep same nations players apart in ITF Juniors, maybe they could keep same county players apart in this (which obviously also means siblings)?
I've liked both Rhys and Liam for several years now, and Liam is underranked - shame they had to play each other - but, I guess, as Liam's a year older, at least Rhys will have another chance next year
But, yes, a big upset, based on rankings
Archie got a bit lucky, I thought, but maybe you make your own luck
Kudos, I guess, to the LTA in that their two wildcards got through (they're riding high, given Sallu)
The girls is far more standard so far
All the 'big' names have come through with little problem
They're might be an upset in the K Davies sibling match-up
And Bekker is a set down at the moment - but the first set has just finished and, knowing the players, and given the first, that could well go to a third
Not only two wildcards through to the Boys' quarter-finals, but one will make the semis
Boys QF
(1) Mark Ceban v Kacper Laskowski
(3) William Moxon v (6) Oliver Page
(8) Eric Lorimer v (4) Joshua Craze
(WC) Archie Gray v (WC) Liam Channon
Girls QF
(1) Hollie Smart v (5) Tegan Bush
Hermione Korpanec Davies v (6) Edie Griffiths
(7) Teodora Prisadnikova v (4) Megan Knight
(8) Sophie Bekker v (2) Daniella Britton
i wonder what the LTA will do about Wimbledon junior WCs this year, particularly for the boys. Obviously, Mark and Rhys are ranked highly enough to gain entry, as they have done so well on the ITF junior tour. However, some of the top-ranked boys have earned their points by playing in much weaker countries, yet they would still be ahead of others who cant afford to travel abroad as much. Will the LTA reward the privileged, or those who have true talent but cant travel as often to countries where it is easier to reach finals?
-- Edited by Tennismad2005 on Tuesday 7th of April 2026 06:03:36 PM
-- Edited by Tennismad2005 on Tuesday 7th of April 2026 07:43:45 PM
-- Edited by Tennismad2005 on Tuesday 7th of April 2026 07:47:47 PM
I wonder what the LTA will do about wimby juniors wcs this year, particularly for the boys. Obvs mark and Rhys high enough to gain entry as they have done so well on the ITF junior tour. Some of the top ranked boys have however earned their points by playing in very weak countries, yet they would be ahead others who cant afford to go abroad as much. Will the LTA reward the privileged or those who have true latent but cant travel as much to countries where it is easy to reach finals.?
-- Edited by Tennismad2005 on Tuesday 7th of April 2026 06:03:36 PM
Lovely of you to post
And, yes, it's a very good point
Certainly in the 16Us, there were a few who really stood out, in terms of performance versus ranking - like Brennan Coletta, Neo Armus and Harry Mitchell
And the same may well be happening in the 18U
You may well know it from the inside, better than me, but my feeling and experience is that those players who have the strongest advocates will do the best
Ranking won't win in and of itself (we've seen that in the girls, with Alisha and Grace, for instance, when they were very highly ranked but didn't get any wildcards of note because the LTA recognised that the points had come from very weak events) and the wildcards went to lower ranked players (who indeed were better). And now Alisha has switched.
But if you've got an influential person in your corner, that counts for a lot - reputation matters (sometimes rightly)
-- Edited by Coup Droit on Tuesday 7th of April 2026 07:13:53 PM