When is this tournament?

Greenleaf wrote:

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Main draw begins Monday.

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Thanks.

Melissa Berry was in the alts but opted not to make the trip.

Main draw is out and it's a really, really tough opener for Mel

M South [GB] v E Laine [Fin][2]

Laine is a 20 year old leftie ranked 74 [career best of 50 reached in August]. Has struggled with injuries this autumn, but made the quarters of Milan a few weeks ago. Her 2006 highlights: Made WTA quarters in Pattya and San Diego and won a round in the Aussie Open. Made rd4 of Indian Wells and also made a 75K final in the States. In Cincinatti she bagelled Mirza in set 2 but eventually lost in 3.

Hopefully Mel can make it a close match, if she serves well she has a chance. Hingis totally bamboozled her at the AO with her ability to read the play and outmanouvere an opponent using angles and sneaking into the net. Against Mel, Laine will be more in her comfort zone, both players will be hitting hard from baseline to baseline. However, as you say, she hasn't been in great form recently, has lost in rd1 a lot of times in WTAs, only 2 quarters this year and those were in tier 3 or tier 4 events.

Speaking to the LTA, Mel was confident. It's great that Lucie Ahl is with her, having a coach at tournaments must help a lot for preparing for opponents eg: discussing tactics and strategy. It really paid dividends down under especially for Georgie Stoop:

"Despite her opponent’s pedigree, however, 20-year-old South says she feels good about her game and is ready to throw everything at the Finn when they meet on Monday.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” the world No.167 said. “I’m hitting the ball well and moving well.

“I don’t feel scared of playing Emma even though she’s ranked a lot higher.”

South’s coach, Lucie Ahl, said the Surrey youngster is capable of victory provided she is prepared to earn it.

“If Mel gets her game on the court she has the weapons to beat her, but she’ll have to work very hard to get that chance.

“Mel is going to have to be patient and be prepared to work to get the right ball to attack.”"

Latest score:

M South [GB] 3-6, *2-4 E Laine [Fin][2]

Rain stopped play

Result:

E Laine [Fin][2] bt M South [GB] 6-3, 6-2


Mel is still in the doubles, she's partnering Australia's Sophie Ferguson. They play the top seeds Fedak and Schruff in rd1

Happycynic wrote:

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Rain stop play in Dubai. Now there is something I didn't think happened often...

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Mel says that it's very warm over there but they are also having quite a bit of rain !

A superb doubles win for Mel and Sophie, they beat the top seeds 7-6[5], 6-4

LTA report:

South and Ferguson – playing together for the first time – fought back from 2-5 in the first set and 1-3 in the second.

It was a case of sweet revenge for South, who with fellow-Briton Katie O’Brien lost to Fedak in the first round at Wimbledon this year.

The Ukraine 23-year-old partnered compatriot Tatiana Perebiynis on their way to the semi-finals in SW19. Fedak also made the last 16 of the doubles at the French Open with Ukraine’s Alona Bondarenko.

South is the British No.2 in singles and doubles with a current WTA doubles world ranking of No.198. Ferguson, who works on a part-time basis with Roger Federer’s coach, Tony Roche, is the world doubles No.189.

“I enjoyed playing with Sophie,” South said. “She has a good serve and is positive at the net which encouraged me to be the same.”

South’s coach, Lucie Ahl, who watched part of the match with Roche, said playing the Dubai event has turned out to be an excellent decision.

“I felt it was a good move for Mel play out here in Dubai not just because she was in the main draw but also for us to taste the same conditions that Mel will be playing in when she travels to Australia just after Christmas,” Ahl said.

“Since Mel lost her singles on Monday we’ve been out on the practice court working on some specific parts of her game as well as playing with a different combination of girls who are out here. We’ve also been spending a lot of time in the gym.

“It’s perfect being here – there are plenty of courts and girls ranked in the top 200 as well as a great gym and the kind of heat and breezy conditions expected in New Zealand and Australia.

“Roger Federer is out here in Dubai with Tony Roche, too, until just before Christmas. Roger has a place here and also uses the conditions of Dubai to prepare himself for Australia.”