31st August, 2021

Billy Harris wins his first UK Pro League

Billy Harris became a UK Pro League winner while Sonay Kartal made it two event victories in a row as a dramatic week of action came to an end at Chelsea’s Harbour Club.

 

 

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The men’s final saw Week 1 runner-up Harris take on Week 5 winner Charles Broom, in a battle between two players who had overcome defeats in their opening group matches to reach the final.  After Harris took the opening set, Broom responded strongly to take the second and force a deciding ten-point tiebreak.

But Harris switched momentum back in his favour, with the 26-year-old ultimately prevailing 6-3, 3-6, 10-3 to be crowned Week 6 winner in the capital.

And the Isle of Man star said:

“It’s been a good week. I started with a loss and learnt a couple of things from that match and then played better each round.
“I’m very happy with the week – it’s my first win!”

Broom, who battled past Henry Patten in a heart-thumping Saturday semi-final, said:

“I think overall it was a really high level. The first set and second set both came down to each of us playing well in one return game.
“In the tiebreak he just played really well, came up with a couple of big shots when it really mattered and that was the turning point.”

Having won the week, Harris takes 18 points and now has 48 in total, while Broom secures 15 for finishing runner-up and now sits on 33. Both men currently sit inside the nine-man cut off for Finals Week in November.

The women’s final was a rematch of one of the most competitive matches of the week, with Kartal taking on Katarina Stresnakova.
Kartal and Stresnakova had contested a tight clash in the group stage earlier in the week, with the Brighton star prevailing in a championship tiebreak.

 

But it was a different story in the Sunday showpiece, with the 19-year-old cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 victory and winning her second Pro League event in a row after also triumphing in Aldershot last month.

And Kartal, who finished the week in Chelsea unbeaten, said:

“I played her at the start of the week and let my concentration dip a little bit so I was very wary of that ahead of today.
“I tried to keep my focus the same throughout. I think I was very clinical in today’s match.”

Stresnakova said:

“It’s been a good week. I’ve played quite well but not quite like how I want to play. I feel like I need a solid couple of weeks of practice just to put it all together.”

Kartal now sits on 46 points after taking 18 points for victory this week, whilst Stresnakova sits on 23 points after taking 15 runner-up points and boosting her chance of reaching Finals Week.

 

The thrills and spills continue when Week 7 of UK Pro League action gets underway at the University of Bath on September 13, with the race for Finals Week hotting up among Britain’s most exciting tennis stars.

 

29th August, 2021

Dramatic day of week 6 semi-final

A dramatic day of semi-final action at Chelsea’s Harbour Club set up two tantalising finals as Week 6 of the UK Pro League nears its thrilling conclusion.

Sonay Kartal prevailed in Week 5 of the women’s event at Aldershot Tennis Centre last month – and is now just a single match away from emulating those exploits after squeezing through her semi-final clash. Kartal had not lost a match all week and recent form made her the favourite against Danielle Daley, who was competing in her first Pro League semi-final of 2021.

The 19-year-old held firm after being pegged back following a dominant opening set, beating Daley 6-0, 4-6, 11-9 to move into the final.

And the south coast star said: “I think it was a very patchy match. It was one of those where you just have to find a way to win.

“I don’t think either of us were playing our best tennis but I’m happy with the way I fought and how I kept positive.”

Facing her in the final is Katarina Stresnakova, who is making just her second Pro League appearance of the year. Stresnakova rallied from a set down to beat Tiffany William 6-7 (3), 6-2, 10-5 and seal her place in her maiden Pro League final.

In the men’s event it was Isle of Man ace Billy Harris who was the first to progress to the final, beating Week 5 runner-up Julian Cash to reach his second Pro League final of 2021. Week 1 runner-up Harris failed to convert match points in the second set tiebreak but rallied superbly in the championship tiebreak to prevail 6-4, 6-7 (9), 10-2 to reach the final.

And the 26-year-old, who memorably played 42 matches in 42 days in the UK Pro Series last year, said: “I finished strongly.
“After losing that second set tiebreak I came out more calm and started going for my shorts a bit more, so I’m pleased with that.

“Tomorrow I just need to start the way I finished today, not overthinking it too much and just go for my shots.”

Harris now faces Charles Broom in tomorrow’s final, who won a nail-biting contest against Essex ace Henry Patten. Broom lost his opening match this week but will now contest the final after clawing his way to a 6-4, 6-7(5), 10-8 victory in his semi-final.

And when asked about his experienced final opponent, Broom said: “I know Billy’s really solid and he serves well so it’s going to be a slightly different match to today.

“At the same time, I can transfer a lot of the good things I did today into tomorrow, and maybe tighten up a little bit and not give quite so many points away.”

29th August, 2021

UK Pro Series 2020 Champion Emma Raducanu qualifies for her first US Open

UK Pro Series 2020 Champion Emma Raducanu has qualified for her first US Open, only her second Grand Slam since her remarkable run at Wimbledon earlier this summer.

In 2020 Emma Raducanu won the first version of the UK Pro Series after 42 days of elite British competition. Alongside Liam Broady, Raducanu (Both pictured below) was crowned champion of the UK Pro Series, lifting the Golden Pineapple trophy.

Read Also: Raducanu’s fairytale run at Wimbledon 2021

 

Since developing her career with the UK Pro Series, Raducanu has burst onto the world stage. A fairytale run at Wimbledon in July where she made the 4th round, boosted her ranking from the 300’s to the 100’s. Today she backed up her remarkable success at Wimbledon by qualifying for her second Grand Slam tournament.

The 18-year-old had to enter through the qualifying stages, three matches in the searing heat, at Flushing Meadows. On Wednesday she breezed past Dutch player Bibiane Schoofs winning 6-1, 6-2. She backed the win up with another straight set win over Georgian Mariam Bolkvadze, running out 6-3, 7-5. Today, in against her toughest opponent yet in Egypt’s Mayar Sherif, who is ranked inside the top 100, Raducanu looked assured as she won 6-1, 6-4 against the 4th seed. She served exceptionally throughout, finishing the match in style with an ace.

 

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The US Open starts on the 30th August and Raducanu will hope to continue her progress on the biggest stages of world tennis. Meanwhile, the UK Pro League is into it’s 6th week this year, with the best of the British tennis scene battling it out for vital ranking points as they try to qualify for finals week. The semi-final stage of both the men’s and women’s start on Saturday, with Sonay Kartal, Julian Cash and Tiffany William all featuring.

Keep up with the UK Pro League 2021 on BT Sport Extra, ukproleague.tv or the Tennis Channel

 

27th August, 2021

Day 5 Recap: Wins for Eliz Maloney, Josh Paris, Sean Hodkin and Alice Gillan

On day 5 of week 6 of the UK Pro League there were 6 playoffs on either court as the competition heated up to decide how many vital ranking points players would receive in Chelsea.

The 4 games in the 5th-8th playoff games started off with a impressive win for Alice Gillan over Lauryn John-Baptiste. Both players were unlucky to have lost their quarter-finals but here Gillan shone, wrapping the victory up 6-4, 6-4. There may have been slight signs of fatigue for John-Baptiste after her marathon games throughout this week, including a win over Eliz Maloney. Maloney featured in the other playoff game, defeating replacement Maddie Brooks in typical Maloney style, battling to a 6-3, 6-1 victory. Maloney displayed her signature tenacity and stickability as she kept the ball in play when all seemed lost.

On the men’s side, the much improved Sean Hodkin ran out comfortable winner over replacement Liam Hignett, who was playing his first match of week 6. Hodkin’s powerful serve has been a huge weapon all week and once again it was the base for a fantastic performance. Elsewhere, Josh Paris beat Evan Hoyt (Pictured above), the top ranked player in the men’s draw, 6-4, 6-4. In his return from double knee surgery Hoyt has shown glimpses of the quality he has to offer but it is still early days in his comeback. Paris looked assured and coped well with the huge serve of Hoyt.

Elsewhere there were wins for Jack Gibbens, Dan Little, Emma Wilson and debutant Emilia Banos-Gregorians. Gibbens and Wilson both made it back to back wins at this stage as they look to maximise their ranking points gained from this week.

Full Day 5 Results: 

Alice Gillan vs Lauryn John-Baptiste: 6-4, 6-4 

Emma Wilson vs India Rojano: 6-0, 6-1

Sean Hodkin vs Liam Hignett: 6-1, 6-1 

Dan Little vs Adam Jones, 5-2 (retired) 

Eliz Maloney vs Maddie Brooks: 6-3, 6-1 

Emilia Banos-Gregorians vs Jojo Bach: 6-3, 2-6, 10-8 

Josh Paris vs Evan Hoyt: 6-4, 6-4 

Jack Gibbens vs Ewan Moore: 3-6, 7-6(3), 11-9

27th August, 2021

Day 4 recap: Quarter-finals galore on Super Thursday

On day 4 of Week 6 of the UK Pro League the quarter-final stage kicked off with all 24 players taking part in Super Thursday.

In the first women’s quarter-final of the day, Sonay Kartal ran out winner over the eternally-stubborn Eliz Maloney. In the 6-1, 7-5 result some brilliant tennis was played, including the shot of the day from Maloney, a passing backhand winner when she was well off-balance. Maloney fought to the last point as she always does but Kartal just had too much. The 19-year-old, winner of week 5, has looked unstoppable this week so far as she progresses to the semi-final stage.

 

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Danielle Daley reached her furthest stage of this years competition with a dominant win over 16-year-old Jasmine Conway in straight sets. It means she will play her first semi-final of the UK Pro League. 3 set wins for Tiffany William and Katarina Stresnakova completed the semi-final draw, with all players eyeing up the chance to play in the week 6 final.

In the men’s draw Billy Harris produced a scintillating performance from the off as he disposed of talented 18-year-old Jack Pinnington Jones. In the 6-1, 6-4 victory Harris played some unbelivable shots, very early in the rallies to take an advantage that he never gave up. Joining him in the semi-final will be Julian Cash who overcame an in-form Sean Hodkin, who was far from his best. The top ranked player in the men’s draw Evan Hoyt could only reach the quarter-final stage on his return from double knee surgery. He was beaten by Henry Patten 6-3, 6-2. Week 5 winner Charlie Broom recovered from a defeat on day 1 to progress to his second consecutive semi-final.

The 9th-12th round robin stage also kicked off as there were wins for Emma Wilson, Jojo Bach and Jack Gibbens, who won a outstanding match in three sets. The third match tiebreak went to 14-12, the longest of this week so far.

On Friday the 5th-8th playoffs start and the 9th-12th round robin continues as the lower half of the final table will start to take shape!

Full Results

Jack Pinnington Jones vs Billy Harris: 6-1, 6-4 

Sonay Kartal vs Eliz Maloney: 6-1, 7-5 

Tiffany William vs Alice Gillan: 0-6, 6-4, 10-2

Julian Cash vs Sean Hodkin: 6-3, 7-6(5) 

Katarina Stresnakova vs Lauryn John-Baptiste: 6-3, 3-6, 10-7

Danielle Daley vs Jasmine Conway: 6-4, 6-4

Henry Patten vs Evan Hoyt: 6-3, 6-2 

Charles Broom vs Josh Paris: 7-6(4), 7-5

Emma Wilson vs Soumeya Anane: 6-1, 5-0(Retired)

Jojo Bach vs India Rojano: 6-0, 6-0 

Jack Gibbens vs Dan Little: 2-6, 7-6(5), 14-12  

 

 

 

26th August, 2021

Day 3 Recap: Pools decided as Hodkin, Paris, William and Kartal progress

On a pivotal day 3 at week 6 of the UK Pro League all 8 pools were decided as wins for Josh Paris, Sean Hodkin, Jasmine Conway and Lauryn John-Baptiste ensured they topped their groups.

Pool stage decided

16-year-old prodigy Jasmine Conway (Below) looked well ahead of her years in the pool stage and she rounded it off with a composed win over Soumeya Anane to top her group. The 6-2, 6-1 win means she has not dropped a set yet this week and it set her up with a quarter-final against Danielle Daley. Daley herself finished second in pool C with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Jojo Bach.

Sean Hodkin has looked like a new player this week when compared with his performances so far this year and he too has been flawless so far. On his way to topping his group with maximum points, he has defeated both Evan Hoyt, the topped ranked player in the men’s draw, and Dan Little. His quarter-final against Julian Cash is set to be a big hitting affair to decide one of the semi-finals.

Week 5 winner Charlie Broom found himself under pressure after losing on day 1 to 18-year-old Jack Pinnington Jones. He returned to form with a straight set win over Adam Jones, 6-3, 6-2 to set up a quarter-final showdown with the in-form Josh Paris. Paris ran out comfortable winner against Jack Gibbens, including the shot of the day, a ‘tweener’ as he won 6-1, 7-5.

 

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There were also wins for Katarina Stresnakova and Henry Patten who both progress to the quarter-finals and will face Lauryn John-Baptiste and Evan Hoyt respectively.

Full Day 3 results 

Lauryn John-Baptiste vs Emma Wilson 2-6, 6-4, 10-5

Jasmine Conway vs Soumeya Ananae 6-2, 6-1

Josh Paris vs Jack Gibbens 6-1, 7-5

Sean Hodkin vs Dan Little 6-2, 7-6(5)

Danielle Daley vs Jojo Bach 6-3, 6-3

Katarina Stresnakova vs India Rojano 6-0, 6-0

Charles Broom vs Adam Jones 6-3, 6-2 

Henry Patten vs Ewan Moore 6-4, 6-2 

25th August, 2021

Day 2 Recap: Pinnington Jones and Sonay Kartal top their pools on action packed day

The action comes thick and fast on week 6 of the UK Pro League, with the pool stage heating up. On a pulsating day at the Habour Club in Chelsea, 3 players confirmed their place at the top of their pool.

Pool stage starts to take shape

Week 5 winner Sonay Kartal was involved in a riveting match of the highest quality and intensity as she battled through to a 6-3, 5-7, 10-7 victory against Katarina Stresnakova. Stresnakova was able to come back from 4-0 in the second set and set up a blockbuster finish. In a brilliant final set tiebreak, the rallies were long and fierce as Kartal vied for the 2 points that would secure her top spot. In the end there was little to differentiate the players but Kartal won vital points in the third set to give her back to back wins in week .

Debutant Tiffany William (Below) has looked in form since her return from injury and she triumphed over 19-year-old Jojo Bach in three sets to book herself a place in the knockout stage. Her 6-1, 4-6, 10-2 shows that in two sets of the game she was dominant and apart from a superb second set from Jojo Bach, she was a deserved winner.

Jack Pinnington Jones has impressed on his debut with the UK Pro League. The 18-year-old defeated week 5 winner Charlie Broom on day 1 and backed up that win with a straight sets victory over fellow debutant Adam Jones 6-2, 7-6(3). He finishes top of the pool, with the other two players to battle it out for second place on day 3.

Elsewhere, there were wins for Julian Cash, Sean Hodkin and Billy Harris as they fight the pool stage. Billy Harris bounced back from an opening day defeat by disposing of Jack Gibbens 6-2, 6-2 to give him a good chance to progress from the pool. Julian Cash guaranteed at least second place in his pool with a hard fought win over Ewan Moore 7-6(5), 7-6(1). Henry Patten will leapfrog him with a win on day 3 against Gibbens. Sean Hodkin wowed on court 1 as he defeated the highest ranked player in the men’s draw Evan Hoyt. He rarely looked troubled by the powerful hitting of Hoyt to run out 6-2, 7-5 winner.

Full day 2 results: 

 Sean Hodkin vs Evan Hoyt 6-2, 7-5 

Billy Harris vs Jack Gibbens 6-2, 6-2 

Julian Cash vs Ewan Moore 7-6(5), 7-6(1)

Jack Pinnington Jones vs Adam Jones 6-2, 7-6(3)

Tiffany Williams vs Jojo Bach 6-1, 4-6, 10-2

Sonay Kartal vs Katarina Stresnakova 6-3, 5-7, 10-7

Alice Gillan vs Soumeya Anane 6-2, 6-2 

Lauryn John-Baptiste vs Eliz Maloney 7-5, 4-6, 10-7

24th August, 2021

Day 1 Recap: Wins for Kartal, Paris and Maloney as week 6 gets underway

The two winners of week 5 experienced vastly different returns to the UK Pro League as Sonay Kartal won her match while Charlie Broom lost out to debutant Jack Pinnington Jones.

In a purely dominant showing Kartal defeated newcomer India Rojano in just 32 minutes to establish herself as favourite to add to her week 5 title. Her 6-0, 6-0 victory was full of composure and the clinical nature of her game will take a lot of stopping this week!

The men’s winner of week 5, Charlie Broom, couldn’t match the result, he lost to 18-year-old sensation Jack Pinnington Jones 2-6, 6-2, 10-3. The match had been up and down for both players with each registering a double break in two win a set. In the third set tiebreak, Pinnington Jones was able to establish a big lead which Broom could not come back from. Pinnington Jones was able to cope with Broom’s big serving, something that ‘served’ him so well in week 5. It is far from over for Broom as he will be back on day 3.

Evan Hoyt (pictured below) is the highest ranked player in the men’s draw this week but his debut in the UK Pro League was far from smooth. An injury scare in the first set of his match against Dan Little seemed to throw him as he lost the first set. He was soon able to recover and win in three sets to start his week off perfectly with a 3-6, 7-6(3), 10-5 win

Elsewhere, the two second placed players in the league rankings, Josh Paris and Eliz Maloney started week 6 off with straight set wins. With neither of the first placed players at week 6 it is a superb opportunity for the players to close the ground. Maloney ran out winner over Emma Wilson 7-6(4), 6-4, in a game that Maloney’s intensity won over Wilson in the end. Paris was Al in a tight first set tiebreak but after he managed to win that, the second set came quickly as he won against Billy Harris 7-6(6), 6-1.

In a standout fixture of Day 1, Henry Patten was able to overcome Julian Cash in a fascinating duel that went to a third set tiebreak. Cash has often struggled in the third set and his poor form continued as he fell far behind quickly losing the match 6(3)-7, 6-2, 10-6. Patten was able to win the important points in the final set and take 2 points.

 

 

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Full Day 1 Results

Jack Pinnington Jones vs Charles Broom 2-6, 6-2, 10-3

Josh Paris vs Billy Harris 7-6(6), 6-1

Eliz Maloney vs Emma Wilson 7-6(4), 6-4

Jasmine Conway vs Alice Gillan 6-3, 6-2 

Evan Hoyt vs Dan Little 3-6, 7-6(3), 10-5

Henry Patten vs Julian Cash 6(3)-7, 6-2, 10-6

Tiffany William vs Danielle Daley 6-1, 3-0 (Daley Retired.)

Sonay Kartal vs India Rojano 6-0, 6-0

 

Catch Day 2 live from 11:00 AM on BT Sport Extra, Tennis Channel or our new platform UKPL.TV

20th August, 2021

The UK Pro League enters its 6th week: Week 5 winners Kartal and Broom feature in London

Written by Angus Wright

The UKPL IS BACK

Week 6 of the UK Pro League starts on Monday 23rd August, at the Harbour Club in Chelsea. The competition is now in the second half of the season, with players needing ranking points more than ever as they try to qualify for the finals week!

Both winners from Week 5 feature, with Sonay Kartal and Charlie Broom looking to carry their form from Aldershot over into Week 6. Alongside the reigning winners, Julian Cash (Pictured Below), Eliz Maloney and Joshua Paris will be competing for the top spots.

 

There is also a debut for Evan Hoyt who is the highest ranked player in the men’s draw this week. In 2019 he had a ATP ranking of 319 and is still ranked in the top 600 in the world. He will be hoping to impress in his first ever week with the UKPL.

Continuing her UKPL season Jasmine Conway, 16-years-old, will look to build on her massively impressive debut in week 5. Elsewhere, three of the top 5 in the league rankings in the men’s draw, Julian Cash, Joshua Paris, Henry Patten are competing in Week 6. They will want to distance themselves and get a step closer to the lucrative finals week later this year.

Returning winners aim to make it back to back weeks!

Week 5 featured a brilliant debut from Charlie Broom who, on his first outing with the UKPL, secured the top spot in Aldershot. His impressive hitting power and bullish serving earned him full ranking points from the week. On the women’s side of the draw, the returning Sonay Kartal, who had been out with injury, impressed all week, especially in her confident win over Emily Appleton in the final. Below is her shot that won the “Shot of the week” competition. Every week we ask our Instagram followers to vote for their favourite shot of the week.

Have your say in week 6 by following our Instagram account

Week 6 of the UKPL continues with the new format, with players now playing 5 matches in 7 days. The round robin stage sees players divided into four pools of 3 to play each other from Monday to Wednesday. At the end of day 3, the top 2 players from each pool progress to the 1st to 8th place play offs with the 3rd placed player moving into the 9th to 12th place round robin.

Full player list for week 6:

Men

Evan Hoyt
Billy Harris
Julian Cash
Jack Pinnington Jones
Henry Patten
Charles Broom
Josh Paris
Dan Little (wc)
Sean Hodkin (wc)
Jack Gibbens
Ewan Moore (wc)
Adam Jones

Womens

Alice Gillan
Eliz Maloney
Tiffany William (wc)
Sonay Kartal (wc)
Jasmine Conway
Danielle Daley
Soumeya Anane
Emma Wilson (wc)
Lauryn John-Baptiste (wc)
JoJo Bach
India Rojano
Katarina Stresnakova

 

Follow all the action live from 11 a.m. on our brand new platform: UKPL.tv as well as BT Sport Extra and Tennis Channel.