30th May, 2023

The UK Pro League’s first grass event begins!

The UK Pro League’s first-ever event on grass is underway at Felixstowe Lawn Tennis Club

A mix of new and familiar faces have travelled to the east coast to start their grass seasons and the first couple of days have delivered some fantastic matches. Billy Harris is certainly prepared for the competition, having been seen warming up on the grass courts with Andy Murray last week. Harris, who has played well over 100 UKPL matches, tops the Men’s draw and will be looking to add a 2nd UKPL title to his collection.

Top seed Billy Harris got some practice in with Sir Andy Murray last week

The surface isn’t the only newcomer to the UKPL; there are a few new faces in Felixstowe too. Johannus Monday will certainly be looking to challenge for the win on his UKPL debut, as will Isabelle Lacy in the Women’s.

Johannus Monday progresses through to the quarter-finals on his debut week

Lacy is definitely one to watch; the 16-year-old was crowned 18U Junior National Champion in April. She is seeded second in the Women’s draw, which is topped by Alice Gillan- winner of Week 6 last year.

Alice Gillan is seeking her 2nd Week Win

 

 

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17th May, 2023

Week 6 Winners: A dramatic comeback from Maloney and masterful second title for Bowden

Another Week at Aldershot Tennis Centre completed and another fantastic competition wrapped up, which culminated in two dramatic Finals. Louis Bowden, the promising 18-year-old, won his second UKPL title at his third-ever event, and Eliz Maloney won her first of the year.

In the Men’s Final, Louis Bowden, the 18-year-old playing in his third ever UKPL week but already chasing down a second Week Win, faced top seed Oscar Weightman, the 21-year-old yet to win a UKPL Week and competing in UKPL for the first time this year.
Bowden started stronger, winning his opening service game and then immediately breaking Weightman’s serve. However, the tables then turned; Weightman did not drop a point in the next two games, evening the score at 2-2. In a testament to both player’s powerful serves, they each held to love in the following two games and the set stayed with serve until the last game, where a few marginal errors from Weightman allowed Bowden to finally get another break, winning him the set 6-4. An incredibly close first set, with Weightman winning 25 points to Bowden’s 28.

Top seed Oscar Weightman trailed in the first set

The second set continued with attacking play from both sides of the net. Bowden was the first to break, making fewer errors, for 3-1. The game continued with game and so, at 5-3, Bowden was serving to win, and the match looked likely to wrap up. However, Weightman was not going to give up. He capitalised on a couple of small errors from Bowden to force the break of serve. The match was back on. Weightman held in the next game to even the score, but Bowden retaliated and stepped his play up a gear, pulling off some fantastic shots to hold for 6-5. In the last game, Weightman made a few too many inaccurate shots, handing Bowden two match points, on the second of which he struck a powerful shot past Weightman, who hesitated on the volley, and the match was won 6-4, 7-5.

Louis Bowden becomes the first player to win multiple Weeks in 2023

Bowden already knows the benefit of winning a UKPL week. He utilised his wildcard prize from winning UKPL Week 4 to compete in the main draw of a Nottingham 25k last month, where he won in the first round, thereby awarding him his first ATP points. He said after the match:

“(the match) went really well, I started really well. I’ve played Oscar a lot of time and I know he’s a good player.”

“I’m very pleased…(the UK Pro League) got me my first ATP points, it’s massively helped, all three have been really really good.”

Bowden now heads off to summer school at Baylor University in the US, and we wish him the best of luck.

 

In the Women’s Final, Danielle Daley was aiming, like Bowden, for her second Week Win of the year. She faced Eliz Maloney, another UKPL regular and a good friend of Daley’s off-court. But on court, it was going to be competitive; Maloney was yet to win a UKPL Week this year, to add to her collection of 3 from previous years.

The level of tennis was impressive from the offset; Daley broke Maloney’s serve in the opening game but then struggled slightly to return Maloney’s serve, affording Maloney an immediate break back. The match continued with serve; both women moving well around the court playing plenty of exciting points. Daley in particular was impressive in this first set, considering Maloney’s position over 600 places ahead of her in the WTA ranks (Maloney at 396, Danielle at 1031), she was pulling off numerous perfectly placed shots to more than hold her own. Daley got the next break for 4-3 and saved a breakpoint in the following game to hold. She then broke Maloney’s serve yet again to win the set 6-3.

In an impressive start, Daley took the first set 6-3

In the second set, Daley was the first to get the break for 3-1, and the upset win for her seemed imminent. However, to think that would be to underestimate Maloney. A few small mistakes from Daley and Maloney seized her chance, forcing an immediate break back. Daley was shaken, and back-to-back double faults from Daley handed Maloney another break for 4-3, putting her in the lead for the first time in the set.

Eliz Maloney made a stunning comeback from a set and a break down

The tide had turned, Maloney started to pull ahead, breaking again for 5-4 and then, despite Daley winning some fantastic points to save 2 set points, Maloney served out the set: 6-4.

It was all to play for in the 10-point tiebreak set, but the momentum stayed with Maloney, who kept her cool to quickly pull ahead to 6-1. Daley managed to win a couple more points but did not have a chance to catch up and Maloney won 10-4. And so, from a set and a break down, Maloney made the comeback look easy, reminding us all why she’s top 400 in the world.

A great week for both our women’s finalists ?: WInner Eliz Maloney (left) with runner-up Danielle Daley (right)

 

Re-watch all the action over at ukproleague.tv and see the Week’s results in full here

12th May, 2023

Week 6: mid-week round-up

We’re back once again at Aldershot Tennis Centre for Week 6 and the competition is heating up!

Eliz Maloney is through the semi-finals without dropping a set all week, defeating Michelle Dzjachangirova in the quarter-finals 6-2, 6-1. Eliz is a 3-time Week Winner of the UKPL but is still yet to reach a final this year. Only Jaquelyn Ogunwale, who plays her in the semi-finals today, stands in her way of doing so this week. Ogunwale, the 18-year-old whose previous best result in the UKPL was a 4th place in week 3, is also yet to drop a set all week.

Top seed Eliz Maloney is through to the semi-finals.

Danielle Daley, despite being a good friend of Maloney’s off-court, may be one of her strongest competitors for the win. Daley also achieved straight-set wins in her pool as well as in her quarter-final against Alessia Popescu (6-4, 6-2). Daley won the Pro League for the first time in Week 3 of this year and will face Kate Mansfield, runner-up in Week 4, in the semi-finals.

Kate Mansfield is one of two 18-year-olds in this week’s semi-finals, alongside Jaquelyn Ogunwale

In the Men’s competition, Week 4 winner Louis Bowden knocked out Joe Tyler in the quarter-finals in a dominant 6-0, 6-2. Bowden received his first ATP ranking points this week, as a result of using his wildcard (a prize from winning a UKPL Week) at a recent Nottingham 25k, winning in the first round. He will surely be keen to get his hands on another wildcard by winning this week and faces Ivan Denisov in the semi-finals.

Ryan Storrie, in his first full week at the UK Pro League, is having an impressive run. He is through to the semi-finals after ending George Houghton’s hope of a second Week Win 6-4, 7-6(4) in the quarter-finals. Impressive from Storrie as Houghton sits 500 places above him in the ATP ranks. However, he will have his toughest challenge yet this week in the semi-finals, where he plays top seed Oscar Weightman, who is almost 1000 places above him in the ATP rankings.

Top seed Oscar Weightman is still in the running for the win

 

Tune in today to watch all the semi-finals or catch up with any action you’ve missed so far at www.ukproleague.tv