British Tennis Forum - Celebrating 20 Years!

Coup Droit wrote:

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HarryGem wrote:

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GAMEOVER wrote:

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HarryGem wrote:

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Disappointing in the end. It was a decent effort but her opponent was just better and made fewer errors in the last few games. This looks to be a decent and appropriate level for Sofia at the moment. Whether she can move a lot further up the rankings I'm not sure.

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 Following your comment above what is your view on Mika and Hannah.?

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 Right now I'd say they are also playing at an appropriate level. They are, of course, a few years younger, and that does make a difference. I think their potential ceiling is higher  but neither have perhaps progressed as far as I would like to have seen but they both have plenty of time on their side. 

Looking at the rankings of players aged 16-19  Mika is ranked 22nd and Hannah 30th so pretty respectable.  Drop the age down to 16-17 and things look even better.  Obviously at that age lots of things can chance and not every excellent teenager can make it to the top. 

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 But that's just saying that all three are playing at the right ranking 

Which is easy, but unlikely 

In that, people said the same about Hannah when she was about 550

To me, like Alicia, Sofia can certainly go higher - it would be crazy if she didn't - she's made such good progress in such a short time, there's no logical reason that today's ranking is the top, no more than that her ranking a month ago was the top 

Back in spring, when she was about 550, I said Hannah was playing at 350 level

And hoped she'd get to about 250 by the end of the year

I've been happy that the 350 has come and still think (assuming she has enough events) that 250 is on

Mika though isn't playing at her ranking at the moment - or, at least, she is in tiny patches but certainly not enough for that to be solid  

She's more a 350 level too

 

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 That's not exactly what I meant.  I did say a lot further up the rankings. Obviously she's had a very good year. She has time to improve but there is a lot of work to do to say get to the top 250. That sort of fringe qualifying for qualifying for the majors.

I think, right now, they are all playing at the right sort of level for where they are in their careers. By this I mean the level of tournaments is, I feel, about right.  It gives them a chance to progress, gain points and confidence though as you point out Mika is struggling right now. In a few months maybe they will all have progressed up the chain of tournament levels. I hope so.

Personally I'm fascinated to see how these players develop. Taking injuries into account, there is quite a big gap between the likes of Harriet Dart and even Katie Swan and the next ranked players which needs to be filled by the next group of players.