Month: August 2020

16th August, 2020

Liam Broady and Emma Raducanu aim high after winning UK Pro Series titles

The Stockport star toppled British No 11 Ryan Peniston 6-2, 6-4 in the final at St. George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club, capping off a memorable Classic Week where he won six out of his seven matches. The British No 6 will next head to Trieste for an ATP Challenger Tour event where he’ll swap Weybridge’s speedy indoor courts for the slower, more attritional Italian clay.
That’s a transition he’s relishing and with the French Open confirmed to take place at the end of next month, Broady reckons a first Grand Slam appearance since 2018 – and first at Roland-Garros – could be just around the corner.
“It feels fantastic to come away with the win – Ryan was fantastic all week and has been getting better and better going into the tournament, It’s been great and I’m now going to go and play the Challenger Tour event in Italy on the clay and get ready for the French Open. Obviously it’s a different surface and I’m going from indoors to outdoors, from the low bouncing hard court to the pretty lively Italian clay courts.” the 26-year-old said.
“It will be a pretty quick turnaround but hopefully I have the time – I’m feeling match fit and I’ve definitely got the confidence, so hopefully I have enough time to feel comfortable with the surface. I guess we’ll see how the clay court season goes, but maybe if I qualify for the French Open [a Grand Slam appearance] will be sooner than we expect!”
Emma Raducanu also says the Grand Slams are next after battling from behind to be crowned the tournament’s first ever women’s champion. The teenage sensation thought she was dead and buried against Jodie Burrage but showed all her resilience to overhaul a 6-2 super tie-break deficit and seal a remarkable turnaround.

 

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The 17-year-old is one of the hottest prospects on the circuit and reckons her lofty ambitions are within touching distance.
“It feels great especially after that match – it was a bit of an epic, was up and down and there was such a momentum shift. To be honest, at one point I didn’t think I’d be able to pull through but as it got tighter I thought I could actually do it.” she said.
“My long-term goals in tennis are to be top 10 in the world and win Slams – they’re my ultimate dreams and I definitely think I have the mentality to do it. I’m pretty ambitious – there are a lot of 17-year-olds out there who are better than me. There are top 100 WTA players, so that’s where you want to be. It’s just if my game can follow, but I think with the progress that I’m making at the moment that isn’t too far out of the question.”
“I really do believe I can do it. I think I’ve still got at least 15 years in the sport, but I would want to be peaking in my 20s when I’m about 23.”
Broady and Raducanu were two of 24 leading players competing in the widely-billed Premier League of tennis, playing alongside the likes of Burrage, Naomi Broady and Harriet Dart in the women’s draw and Peniston, James Ward and Arthur Fery in the men’s.
The innovative format was devised by Andy Murray’s coach, Jamie Delgado, with players on Classic Week being split into two boxes of six ahead of finals weekend.Ward secured third place in the men’s draw with a clutch super tie-break victory over a despondent Dan Cox, who had embarked on a memorable run but was unable to finish his week in style.
The experienced Cox, who retired from tennis in 2017 before returning ahead of the event, failed to hold on to a 6-2 first set lead as Ward took the second 6-3 and then the decider 10-8.
“I don’t like the feeling of what I’m feeling at the moment and I don’t miss that from tennis,” Cox, 29, said.
“Right now just coming off it does [make me think twice about playing again]. When things have calmed down I’ll be able to take a bit more positives out of it but right now, it hurts.”
Julian Cash won his fourth super tie-break in a row to finish fifth against Billy Harris, who was playing his 42nd consecutive game in 42 days since the UK Pro Series first started on July 6. Cash also had to come from behind but took the second set 6-3 and the ‘buster’ 10-4 to complete a remarkable change in fortune, having lost his first three deciders of the week but winning his final four.
Alastair Gray beat Fery 12-10 in their decider to finish seventh, while Henry Patten toppled Luke Johnson to finish ninth and Mark Whitehouse sealed eleventh place with a win over Tom Hands.
British No.3 Dart scooped the final spot on the podium in the women’s draw after Eden Silva was forced to retire with the score at 4-1 to Dart in their third-fourth place play-off. Dart was at far from her best in Weybridge and was blown away by Raducanu in the semi-finals, but is looking to bounce back when the international tour resumes and improve on her No.147 world ranking.
Young star Emily Appleton shocked the experienced Naomi Broady to finish fifth, while Sarah Beth Grey toppled 18-year-old Sonay Kartal to secure seventh.
Emily Arbuthnott finished her week on a high by beating Freya Christie to finish ninth, while there was a win for Loughborough University student Nadia Rawson as she beat Danielle Daley – replacing an injured Eliz Maloney – for eleventh.
15th August, 2020

Emma Raducanu rattles Harriet Dart to reach final of UK Pro Classic

The 17-year-old prodigy stunned world No.147 Dart 6-0, 6-3 to book her place in the women’s final on Sunday with a majestic performance at St. George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club.
Dart’s patience was tested throughout the match as she struggled for the form that saw her reach the third round at Wimbledon last year, littering her game with unforced errors as Raducanu blew her away. Dart allegedly had regular pops at both her opponent and the umpire but Raducanu, still a teenager, says she thrives under that atmosphere.

“It did get a bit intense and there were a few comments,” she said.
“In the heat of the battle you say and do things that you don’t necessarily mean, so you can’t really look that deep into it. A lot of the stuff was at her end so I couldn’t hear, and I just heard from my coach that there were a lot of comments. She would walk past me and she would say something under her breath. I couldn’t make out what she was saying, but when that happens they’re under pressure.”
“That’s how I take it – when they’re coming out with all of this stuff trying to disrupt your rhythm, I take it as they’re trying to vent their energy and they’re just channelling into me. So she’s actually feeling the pressure, and I was enjoying it. For sure! [I thrive off that]”
Raducanu kept her cool to sparkle under the glittering Weybridge lights, delivering a memorable performance to tee up a clash against British No.7 Jodie Burrage. Dart was at far from her fluent best in the last four bout, getting ‘stuffed’ in straight sets after struggling with a groin injury through lockdown.
The British No.3 played down any talk of on-court tension and says she won’t be losing any sleep over the outcome.
“I got stuffed love and three, so I’m not sure how it could be tense!” the 24-year-old said.
“I’m not going to dwell on this at all. It’s one match and one match doesn’t define you.
“Your ranking defines where you’re at. It will be interesting once we get back to the main tour.”
Burrage will meet Raducanu on Sunday after beating Eden Silva in her semi-final, with Silva retiring through injury when Burrage was well-placed at 6-2, 1-0 up.

MEN’S SINGLES

Liam Broady was forced to go to the ‘trenches’ against James Ward but reckons his resilience is the asset that’s placed him in the final. The British No.6 won a semi-final epic against the experienced Ward, clinching the super tie-break 10-7 to book a date with Ryan Peniston. Broady had to dig deep to come from behind but says if there’s one thing he represents as a tennis player, it’s graft and determination.
“Against guys like James, he makes you have to go to the trenches and fight it out,” the 26-year-old said. You have to just try and stay quiet, keep focused and concentrate on doing what it takes to win. I think one thing people would say that I am, and I do sometimes, is grind out a few wins in tough situations. It happened again today – I felt good out there and came away with the win.”
Peniston toppled Dan Cox in a thrilling encounter in the day’s second semi-final, winning his tie-break ‘buster’ by the same margin as Broady to end the 29-year-old’s winning streak. Cox had impressed in the pool stages and took the first set 7-5, before British No.11 Peniston restored parity – with a 6-0 win – and then held his nerve when it mattered.

24 leading players in the widely-billed Premier League of tennis were whittled down to eight ahead of semi-final Saturday, with the likes of Naomi Broady, Sarah Beth Grey, Arthur Fery and Anton Matusevich all featuring in the original draw.
The innovative format was devised by Andy Murray’s coach, Jamie Delgado, with players on Classic Week being split into two boxes of six ahead of finals weekend on August 15th and 16th. Julian Cash continued his brilliant run of form in tie-breaks with a 10-6 triumph over Alastair Gray, while Luke Johnson toppled Mark Whitehouse 7-6, 7-6 in one of the day’s other early games.
Billy Harris produced a gutsy display to beat Fery 10-5 in his tie-break, marking his 41st consecutive day playing in Weybridge in style. The Isle of Man star has played in every individual qualifying week of the series since July 6 and is showing no signs of fatigue in Surrey, beating Broady on Wednesday, and now Fery, to outline all his physical fortitude.
Henry Patten beat tournament newcomer Tom Hands in straight sets while on the women’s side, Emily Appleton beat Sonay Kartal on a tie-break and Freya Christie bounced back from her Friday defeat with a win over Nadia Rawson. Emily Arbuthnott beat Eliz Maloney after the 20-year-old retired hurt – with Arbuthnott one set up at the time – while Naomi Broady beat Grey 10-7 in a super tie-break in the final game of the day.
11th August, 2020

Marcus Willis returns to singles tennis after two-and-a-half years

The Warwick-based Brit, who met Roger Federer in the second round at Wimbledon in 2016, has recently returned to singles action for the first time in two-and-a-half years at the inaugural event in Weybridge.
The tournament adopts a unique format at St. George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club, with players duelling it out in a round robin system over five weeks and the winner of each week booking their place in Classic Week in August.
“It’s the first singles I’ve played in two-and-a-half years! It’s been different, with the intensity so it was a big shock,” Willis, 29, said.
“I love playing singles and if I was 23 then I’d tried and pursue it, but I’m 30 in October so I’ve got to think about what the best thing to do for my career is.”
“I wouldn’t have played singles at all if it wasn’t for this tournament – who’s to say I won’t play more? I don’t have a ranking so it will be difficult to get into international events, but in British tours and these events, absolutely.”
“It will help my fitness if I do it a few times a year, it’s a great opportunity and will be a special treat for me.”
11th August, 2020

Dan Cox opens up on mental struggles in tennis

Dan Cox is acutely aware of the brutal realities facing lower-ranked players in the ruthless tennis world.

The Lincoln player, 29, has been through a rollercoaster last four years both on and off the court, hanging up his racket in 2017 before getting an extended taste of what ‘normal life’ was like.

Marriage with his partner, Jola, soon followed and then the foundation of the Lincoln Tennis Academy, as Cox set about disseminating his expertise to the next generation of talent.

But now he’s back on the courts. The inaugural UK Pro Series has helped revitalise Cox’s tennis career, catalysing his return to action after Jola convinced him to pick up his racket once more during lockdown.

It’s been a tale of relentless adversity and financial difficulty and Cox has vivid memories of those dark days of ‘second guessing’ and self-‘doubt’.

“I wanted to feel more stable in my life,” he reflected.

“As a professional tennis player you’re always earning different day-to-day amounts – it’s not like being employed when you’re guaranteed money.

“It was really hard as a player – you can struggle for money, and one week you can earn nothing and are in the minus, then you have one good week and that sets you up for the next month.

“It’s just very unpredictable. You’ve also got that pressure of thinking ‘oh god, if I don’t win this match I could be struggling next week and I might not be able to go away’.

“From such a young age, I was relying on winning to go to the next tournament, so it was a lot of pressure and uncertainty on myself.

“It affects everything mentally. You’re always second-guessing and doubting yourself, so it’s not what you need.

“It’s always there and the first thing you think of – sometimes you do need a little bit of pressure but not so much that it really affects you.”

Cox played in pre-qualifying for Wimbledon 2017 before making the decision to retire from tennis, turning his hand to coaching and founding the Lincoln Tennis Academy shortly after.

A wedding with Jola came next as Cox diligently managed domestic and professional life, earning a stable source of income for the first time in years after his early struggles for money through playing.

He says he was better off financially, mentally and academically because of those years and looks back fondly on his professional playing sabbatical.

“I had a bit of a normal life – I got married, set up a tennis club, coached some juniors and that enabled me to see a different side of tennis,” he added.

“I think I learned a lot from teaching other people about the game – I learned that I need to listen to myself more and analyse my own game.

“I’ve matured a little bit like that. I’m learning from previous mistakes and I’m benefiting from it now.

“I think I was a happier person during those three years – I did miss the game a lot, when I looked at my peers still playing and being successful.

“It’s a tough world and I’m glad that I’m getting back into it. I feel healthy, and it took a bit of pressure off and showed me what I can do after I stopped playing.”

Cox is now one of 24 leading players duelling it out in the UK Pro Series Classic Week in Weybridge, competing against a glittering array of talent including Harriet Dart and Eden Silva in the women’s draw and James Ward and Liam Broady in the men’s.

The innovative format, played at St. George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club, was devised by Andy Murray’s coach, Jamie Delgado, with players being split into two boxes of six ahead of finals weekend.

Cox is thrilled to be back out competing at the innovative tournament – organised by River Media Partners – and is targeting a long and illustrious future in the sport – both playing and beyond.

“It’s a great way for me to get back into playing and I’m feeling great at the minute,” he said.

“The way they’ve come up with the income for the players is absolutely fantastic. It’s given us all something to do during this difficult time, so everybody wins.

“The aim is to play in more events like this and keep going for as long as the body lets me – I just need to try to be patient and keep the ball rolling.

“I always had that worry in the back of my mind about ‘what am I going to do once I stop’, but now I know what I can go back to when I stop and that makes me more comfortable.

“I think I will go back to coaching when I retire – I’m coaching some pretty good juniors and can still help them. They’re watching me this week on the live streams and that will show them how I want them to act and play on the court.

“I think it will be a good experience for me to get fresh memories from playing so I can really relate back to them.”

11th August, 2020

Burgess Hill tennis star yet to hit the jackpot – but yoga and meditation could help

The Burgess Hill star lost his third consecutive game at the UK Pro Series Classic Week, going down 10-2 against Henry Patten in a super tie-break marathon on Wednesday.

The British No.59 says he’s struggling mentally in Weybridge but has been taking to the dojo to improve his fortunes.

“I’ve got lots to learn, and more on the mental side as I’m not used to being in those tight moments – I’ve got to do a better job of making it about the tennis,” the 23-year-old said.

“I definitely think you can work on it – you can try to put yourself in different situations, and there’s a lot of stuff you can do off the court to help.

“I do some meditation, yoga and visualisation – working through the visualisation’s good as you can work through different points and try and get comfortable in those moments.

“The more you’re in those moments the more comfortable you get with it. After coming out from such a long time with injury I’ve not had the match practice and am not used to that, so it’s definitely an area I need to work on.”

Cash is one of 24 leading players duelling it out in the widely-billed Premier League of tennis at Weybridge, competing against a glittering array of talent including Harriet Dart and Eden Silva in the women’s draw and James Ward and Liam Broady in the men’s.

The innovative format was devised by Andy Murray’s coach, Jamie Delgado, with players on Classic Week being split into two boxes of six ahead of finals weekend on August 15th and 16th.

Cash was struggling with a groin injury in the run-up to the event, using lockdown to diligently juggle rehab and golf to get back fighting fight.

Brighton’s Sonay Kartal was another south coast player to suffer tie-break disappointment in Surrey, losing 10-5 against British No.11 Eden Silva.

The 18-year-old hotshot took the first set 6-4 before losing the second 6-1, teeing up a nerve-jangling finale that the more experienced Silva stole.

11th August, 2020

Burrage hoping peak physical performance can fuel UK Pro Series title pursuit

Jodie Burrage wasted no time qualifying for Classic Week and hopes perfect preparation can propel her to a memorable hometown glory in the UK Pro Series.

The British No.7 beat close friend Freya Christie in the first week of the exciting new event to book her place in the finals, having used lockdown to reach peak levels of fitness ahead of a busy schedule on the court.

Burrage hails from Hindhead – just 30 miles from St. George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club – and celebrated seven heaven in the first of five individual qualifying weeks in Weybridge, winning all of her matches before turning her attention to the Progress Tour and the Battle of the Brits.

The world No.289 hasn’t taken to the St.George’s courts since that win over Christie but says reaching peak levels of fitness can only serve her well.

“It’s good to see the work I did in lockdown has paid off – it was honestly like a pre-season for me and I’m definitely in the best shape I’ve ever been in,” the 21-year-old hotshot said.

“My schedule was quite busy so in the first week I was thinking ‘come on Jodie, I’ve got to win this one!’ so I can qualify for the big one at the end.

“I definitely think when we get to day four, five or six next week when it really matters, if you can be fresh, and fresher than other people, that’s going to make a difference.

“That’s why I’ve had little breaks – I’ve been training this week as it would just be too much to go straight into it.

“I like the format – you know you’ve got seven matches so it takes away that pressure of losing and allows you to play and improve as a player.

“I’d like to win it – I want to carry on with the mindset I’ve been playing with in the last few weeks, do as well as I can, put in good fight and see what happens.”

24 of the country’s leading players – 12 men, 12 women – will be split into two pools of six at St. George’s next week where they will duel it out ahead of finals weekend on August 15th and 16th.

And Burrage will be joined by a star-studded array of fellow British talent in Weybridge, with Harriet Dart, Naomi Broady and Eden Silva in the women’s draw and James Ward, Anton Matusevich, Arthur Fery and Liam Broady in the men’s.

The unique format was devised by Andy Murray’s coach Jamie Delgado, who is a member of the LTA Professional Tennis Advisory Group and will manage player liaison on the ground.

Burrage isn’t far off securing a qualifying spot for the Australian Open and wants to use Classic Week as a platform ahead of the resumption of the ITF tour.

“I’m looking to go to the first ITF event in September and just carry on what I’ve been doing, which is getting into tournaments that matter towards my rankings,” she added.

“I’m pretty close to getting into the qualifiers of Grand Slams – that’s what I want to do for the Australian Open and is my goal for the end of the year.

“With the tennis I’ve been playing in the last few weeks, hopefully I should be able to do that if there are enough tournaments on.”

11th August, 2020

Naomi Broady: UK Pro Series blazing a trail for British tennis

The Stockport star is currently ramping up preparations for next week’s Classic Week at St. George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club, having been one of 12 leading British men and women to qualify for the inaugural event in Weybridge.
That was the reward after five thrilling weeks of round robin action, where players compete in a unique, daily group format before a winner of each week is crowned and secures qualification to Classic Week.
Broady was struggling with an ankle injury before lockdown but believes the tournament has got her back in tip-top condition and revolutionised the way tennis is played.
“I’m loving being back – I’ve been out for so long injured, the only way I can get back any form is by playing matches and having that intensity that you can’t recreate in practice. I absolutely love the format here – it’s fantastic, and to be able to play every single day whether you win or lose is so important to be able to improve.” said Broady, 30.
“For my idea about how we can develop tennis in this country, it’s just the perfect format. I absolutely think there should be more tournaments in this format – it’s a win-win, you’re practicing in pressure situations, you’re learning to compete in so many matches and you can then try and correct what you didn’t do well.”
“My coach is watching the live stream up in Manchester, and he’ll text or call me after each match and tell me what I did well and what he wants me to improve on. I believe that’s how you improve at tennis – by playing at this high level of match intensity, and being able to do that every single day is just fantastic.”
24 of the country’s leading players – 12 men, 12 women – will be split into two pools of six at St. George’s next week where they will duel it out ahead of finals weekend on August 15th and 16th.
Broady is currently ranked No.8 in the country and will be joined by a star-studded array of fellow British talent, with Harriet Dart, Jodie Burrage and Eden Silva in the women’s draw and James Ward, Anton Matusevich, Arthur Fery and Liam Broady – Naomi’s brother – in the men’s.
The unique format was the brainchild of Andy Murray’s coach Jamie Delgado, who is a member of the LTA Professional Tennis Advisory Group and has managed player liaison across the six weeks.
Broady can’t wait to get going and knows just how special it would be to etch her name on the competition’s maiden female trophy.
“The ambition’s definitely to go and win it!”
“I’d love to go and win next week, but I’m just so happy to have been able to do well over the last few weeks. It would make it even more special to win it because it’s the first year of it – but hopefully there’ll be many more years to come after this one as well!”
11th August, 2020

James Ward and Harriet Dart win on pulsating first day at UK Pro Series Classic Week

The wildcard entry for the inaugural event toppled Julian Cash in a thrilling tie break at St. George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club, edging the 23-year-old out 11-9 to mark his maiden appearance in Weybridge with a win.
The world No 273 was made to fight on the indoor courts by an opponent a full decade younger than him, having lost the first set before turning the tables to send out a statement of intent to his 11 Classic Week rivals. Ward only touched down from the United States five days ago and was thrilled to get over the line after struggling to sleep since his return to the UK.
“I’d just come back from the States so it was a bit of a change – it was the first time I’d played on these courts, these guys have been playing for weeks here and it’s different, I got back five days ago so it’s been a bit of a quick turnaround – I’m still struggling to sleep a bit but that could be because of the heat!” the 33-year-old said.
“It’s just about adjusting for the first few days, trying to find my game and getting used to the ball changes and stuff. It’s very different to what I’ve been used to.”
Ward is one of 24 leading players currently duelling it out at St. George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club in the widely-billed Premier League of tennis, who are split into two pools of six ahead of finals weekend on August 15th and 16th.
There’s a star-studded array of fellow British talent joining him at the salubrious sporting location, with Harriet Dart, Jodie Burrage and Eden Silva in the women’s draw and Arthur Fery, Alastair Gray and Liam Broady in the men’s.
The unique format was devised by Andy Murray’s coach Jamie Delgado in conjunction with sports media agency River Media Partners, with Delgado also a member of the LTA Professional Tennis Advisory Group and managing player liaison on the ground.
Fellow wildcard entry Dart is back fighting fit and revelled in getting off to a flyer in her first match of the week. Hampstead’s star of Wimbledon in 2019 – Dart reached the third round – eased past British rival Freya Christie, taking to the Surrey courts with ease after previously competing in the Battle of the Brits in Roehampton.
The 24-year-old was struggling with a groin injury during lockdown but reckons those troubles are behind her as she eyes up a tilt at the maiden Pro Series trophy.
“I was struggling a lot with my groin so we were just trying to steadily build up – I did play lots of matches at Battle of the Brits but they were mostly doubles. I’m getting my fitness back, and it’s just match tightness – when you play a lot of matches you feel very confident going forward.” she said.
“For me, it’s just about being able to get through this week, feeling good about my body and try and improve for these matches as they come.”
Siblings Liam and Naomi Broady also got their Classic Weeks off to a positive start with wins over Mark Whitehouse and Sonay Kartal, while Emma Raducanu eased past the youthful Nadia Lawson. Ryan Peniston beat Henry Patten 6-4 6-3 to seize bragging rights against the fellow Essex player, while there was also a tie-break triumph for Anton Matusevich as he held his nerve to beat the experienced Dan Cox.
Burrage beat Eliz Maloney, Emily Appleton continued her momentum to defeat Sarah Beth Grey and Gray also got his Classic Week off to a strong start with a straightforward triumph over Billy Harris.
And the talented Fery toppled Luke Johnson in two sets – winning 6-0 in the second – while Silva rounded the day off in style with a confident win over Emily Arbuthnott.