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11th November, 2022

Week 7 – Day 5 Recap

The day began with the 5-8th place matchups. First up was a match between George Houghton and Harry Wendelken. Both players showed strong talent; Wendelken was able to break in two of the Houghton games in the first set making the score 6-2. The second set was a tighter affair. Houghton’s serve was broken immediately due to the great first serve percentage points won by Wendelken (77%). Houghton then broke back with a boomerang break, until Wendelken persevered to break Houghton for a second time and won the match 6-2, 6-3. Ultimately, Houghton didn’t look as comfortable as he can behind the court, letting Wendelken dictate points with his monstrous groundstrokes.

The next matchup came between Arina Vasilescu and Nadia Rawson. Vasilescu, having just been beaten in a three-set thriller by Beth Grey (the top seed), was looking to ensure that she at least makes 5th place going into the finals of the UK Pro League in Nottingham. Vasilescu dominating with her backhands and good variety, throwing in the dropshot on occasion and using slice to change the tempo of the rally, was able to break in the 8th game and consolidate the break to win the first set 6-3. The second set showed a more routine performance for the 25-year-old, and with Rawson having trouble on her second serve, Arina capitalised winning 100% of points off the Rawson second serve. She closed that set out a comfortable 6-1.

Joe Tyler faced Alexis Canter, who was just off the back of a loss against the ever-strong Matusevich, landing him in the 5-8th play-offs. Canter bringing the game to Joe Tyler, who hitherto had only beaten Tiran Sanghera. Canter was the absolute dominant force in this matchup, Tyler showed a flurry of talent every now and again, but the imperious strokes from Canter didn’t allow Tyler to get up the court and try to attack some balls of his own. The match ended 7-5, 7-5, with Alexis breaking 3 times throughout and Tyler once.

The match between Tiran Sanghera and Maceo Simpson was decisive. It took Sanghera under an hour to complete the demolition. Simpson an alternate in this tournament and coming up against the very best, just couldn’t handle the game of the 21-year-old. The match ended a clean 6-1, 6-2.

The youthful matchup between Summer Yardley and Emma Cohen marked the first win for Yardley in the tournament, after having been introduced as an alternate in place of Danielle Daley. Cohen, the 17-year-old, was coming off the back of a decent win against Jessica Matthews and in form. Unfortunately Cohen suffered with a few ab problems during the first set and was only able to start to make a comeback in the second when it was all too late. The match concluded 6-0, 6-3.

Billy Harris and Ewan Moore went toe-to-toe in a thrilling matchup. Billy Harris, almost 700 ATP points Moore’s superior, must have thought it was going to be easy. It was quite the opposite with Moore not being broken once and losing both tie-breaks, with the first going to 13-11. Harris seems to love these tie-breaks as he previously this week played an 18-16 tie-break in which he lost to Alexis Canter. The game concluded 7-6(11), 7-6(4).

Finally, the matchup between Michelle Dzjachangirova and Jessica Matthews was a gripping one. Matthews unfortunately needed the physio for her game during the first set due to an ankle injury. She was then much less mobile on her feet and allowed Dzjachangirova to dictate the game, winning the first set 6-3. The second set, a different story set the stage; both players held until the moment it counted at 5-4. With Matthews serving, she was able to close out that set 6-4. Up came the match tiebreak, which was extremely close, with Dzjachangirova being slightly more accurate with the serve and forcing some more errors (but only by a fine margin). Michelle Dzjachangirova wins that matchup 6-3, 4-6, 10-8.

Day 5 results

• Michelle Dzjachangirova bt Jessica Matthews 6-3, 4-6, 10-8
• Summer Yardley bt Emma Cohen 6-0, 6-3
• Arina Vasilescu bt Nadia Rawson 6-3, 6-1
• Billy Harris bt Ewan Moore 7-6(11), 7-6(4)
• Alexis Canter bt Joe Tyler 7-5, 7-5
• Harry Wendelken bt George Houghton 6-2, 6-3
• Tiran Sanghera bt Maceo Simpson 6-1, 6-2

10th November, 2022

Week 7 – Day 4 Recap

Today at Gosling Tennis Centre in Welwyn Garden City we kicked off Day 4 of the Week 7 UK Pro League competition.

The Quarterfinals began with a widely anticipated matchup between Anton Matusevich (the 2021 UK Pro League Champion) and Alexis Canter. Canter was coming just off the back of a record-breaking match against Billy Harris, in which he won the match tie-break 18-16. The first set saw both players playing good tennis, both holding their serves until game 5, whereafter four break points saved Matusevich who capitalised on the Canter serve. After Matusevich winning 100% of the points off his first serve, he was able to close out the first set 6-3. The second set did not disappoint with some fantastic tennis all round, with Canter being able to break Matusevich’s unbroken record in Week 7 by winning the set 7-5. Then came the nerve-jangling match tie-break, in which Matusevich again used his high-octane serve to hit 3 aces and, after a bit of line controversy, Matusevich concluded that matchup 10-5. Matusevich, 700 ranks Canter’s superior in the ATP rankings, was most probably expecting an easy matchup, but that was far from the truth; Canter played extremely well and should be delighted with his performance. Ultimately, Matusevich continues his brilliant form and will play Dan Cox in the semi-finals.

The next hotly contested Quarterfinals matchup came between Harry Wendelken vs.Joshua Paris. A very even contest between these two. Josh Paris was able to break three times in the first set to best a slightly inconsistent Wendelken. Wendelken had to bring the physio out during the first set, due to a an ab injury. The first set ended conclusively with Paris winning 100% of his first serve points and winning 6-1. The next set was sown with a different ending, a now electric Wendelken back to his best tennis showed how impressive he can be returning efficiently and forcing errors from the Paris game, concluding the set with a well-deserved tie-break win 7-6(3). As we’ve seen so often in this tournament, another game went to a match tie-break, just showing how contested and even these games are. Paris was back to his usual stuff, his serve was on top form, driving the exasperated Wendelken to the back of the court and governing the rallies. Winning a few mini-breaks and keeping up his high ace ratio, Josh Paris deservedly besting Wendelken 10-5. Josh Paris will now see the blooming George Loffhagen in a great matchup, stayed tuned on ukproleague.com to catch that one; it won’t be one to miss!

Another stimulating Quarterfinal came between Beth Grey (UK Pro League top seed) and Arina Vasilescu (the burgeoning star). The first set was a back-and-forward affair with a break for Vasilescu and two for Grey (a boomerang break). The word to describe this match was relentless, Grey beating Vasilescu in the first set 6-4, but it must be noted that the rallies between these two foes were incredible, with neither player gifting any points to the other. In a gladiatorial fashion, the second set began, both players exhausted at the time-sapping rallies they played. In game 10 of set 2, Grey held 5 deuces and attacks from Vasilescu to hold her nerve and take the game. But Vasilescu was not done yet, Beth evidently fatigued from the 20-minute game was broken at 6-5 to conclude the second set 7-5 Vasilescu. Another tense match tie-break lay up ahead. Grey using her experience and skill to take the lead early, but after an expected fight back from Vasilescu, Grey was able to win using her brutal back and forehand strokes. Beth Grey will face Eliz Mahoney in the semi-finals, again a match that has been widely anticipated, top seed vs. current best performer in the Week 7 matches.

Another interesting 9-12th place matchup was between Jessica Matthews and Emma Cohen. Cohen an alternate replacing Holly Hutchinson and Matthews a rising star. In the first set, a rambunctious game, with both players breaking one another over 2 times; the players only held their serves for half of the total games played. Emma Cohen, only with 17 years to her name, played superbly with a break point conversion ratio of 100%, also winning 10 of 10 returns of the Matthews second serve. In the second, Matthews demonstrated exactly why she is included in the stars of the UK Pro League dominating with her flat groundstrokes, pushing Cohen all about the court, upending her serve. The set culminated a seismic 6-2. Then came, once again, a contentious match tie-break, Matthews unable to get many first serves on the board and, as a result, Cohen prevailed to be the winner in a 10-6 win. A great game between the two youngsters, both playing very admirable and promising tennis.

There were also wins in the men’s Quarterfinal bracket for Dan Cox and George Loffhagen against Joe Tyler and George Houghton respectively. Cox, a superb server of the ball made easy work of Tyler. Cox will face Anton Matusevich in the semi-finals. Equally, Loffhagen’s meteoric rise continued; in this form he is untouchable beating a well-rounded George Houghton in straight sets. He will face Josh Paris in the semis as the favourite.

In the women’s Quarterfinals, Eliz Maloney continued her inviolable form beating a strong Nadia Rawson in straight sets. Additionally, Alice Gillan also whipped Jizel Fernandes in straight sets. She is looking to get two UK Pro League week wins on the trot and will face Lauryn John–Baptiste in the semi-finals. Finally, in the matchup between Lauryn John-Baptiste and Danielle Daley, John-Baptiste was able to triumph over a higher seeded Daley. The first set was incredibly close, but you could sense that something wasn’t right in Daley’s game; shying away from her usual belligerent style. It was clear something was the matter, and ultimately there was, she retired after just three games into the second set. An unfortunate end for Daley, as she was looking like a strong contender for the title. But, as it stands, Lauryn John-Baptiste advances to play Alice Gillan in the semi-finals.

Day 4 Results:

In the Quarterfinal matchups:

• Anton Matusevich bt Alexis Canter 6-3, 7-5, 10-5
• Lauryn John-Baptiste bt Danielle Daley 7-6, 2-1 ret.
• Joshua Paris bt Harry Wendelken 6-1, 6(3)-7, 10-3
• Beth Grey bt Arina Vasilescu 6-4, 5-7, 10-5
• Dan Cox bt Joe Tyler 7-5, 6-2
• George Loffhagen bt George Houghton 6-1, 6-2
• Alice Gillan bt Jizel Fernandes 6-4, 6-2
• Eliz Maloney bt Nadia Rawson 6-1, 6-2

In the round-robin competition for 9-12th place:

• Billy Harris bt Maceo Simpson 6-3, 6-1
• Tiran Sanghera bt Ewan Moore 6-2, 6-2
• Emma Cohen bt Jessica Matthews 6-4, 2-6, 10-6
• Michelle Dzjachangirova bt Summer Yardley 6-4, 6-2

9th November, 2022

Week 7 – Day 3 Recap

The day began with Maceo Simpson vs. George Loffhagen facing off. The favourite Loffhagen is almost 900 places above Simpson in the current ATP rankings. Simpson, a budding 19-year-old, fills in for Mattias Southcombe who injured his ankle in a recent match against Anton Matusevich. Loffhagen showed his prestige above Maceo by securing the first set 6-0. Loffhagen seemed to have no flaws in his game, winning an average of 93% of the points off his first and second serves. Loffhagen’s punishing serves and acute groundstrokes now ensure him a place in the Quarterfinals of the UK Pro League Week 7 competition. Maceo Simpson will play in the 9th to 12th place competition along with Billy Harris, Ewan Moore and Tiran Sanghera.

On Court 2, a UK Pro League record-breaking match took place between Billy Harris and Alexis Canter. Canter needed a victory here after losing to George Houghton just two days prior. In the first set, both Canter and Harris were playing some extraordinary tennis, hitting the living daylights out of the ball. Harris was able to break the serve of Canter in the 4th game, and then hold his serve to win the first set 6-4. The first set was the eye of the storm, as what followed was unprecedented until now. The second set, after a rocket-fuelled start in which, I am surprised, the balls didn’t burst. Additionally, both utilised the drop-shot and net approach nicely, which has not been second nature to the players this week favouring the groundstrokes from the back of the court. Ultimately, Harris broke in a back-and-forth game to make it 4-3 Harris. It all seemed dead and buried when Harris consolidated the break, however Canter from the death brought it back. He saved two match points to break Harris’ serve and, in the end, force a tie-break. The tie-break, like the rest of the game, was electric with neither player willing to give in, but in the end Alexis Canter clinched the tie-break 7-6(11). The match tie-break lasted 25 minutes and ended 18-16 to Canter, this was officially, in the history of the UK Pro League, the longest match tie-break ever recorded. An awe-inspiring match, overflowing with talent. This means, with Harris’ defeat, he goes into the 9-12th playoff matches and Alexis Canter is set to play in the Quarterfinals tomorrow.

The next match on Court 1 was the Women’s Pool A contest featuring top seed Beth Grey and relative UK Pro League newcomer Michelle Dzjachangirova. Both players started out a little shaky with certain shots, Beth with her forehand and Michelle with her serve (only winning 38% of points off her second serve). Beth was able to break immediately in the first game, however Michelle’s determination shone through and she broke back (a boomerang break). Ultimately, Beth’s precision and power won her the first set 6-3. However, throughout the game Michelle had demonstrated bursts of her brilliance and certainly proved that in the second set. She broke Beth in the 8th game, her backhand becoming a highlight reel. She was able to generate such power and acuteness from the backhand, Beth had no answer to her brilliance; a fantastic set from the 20-year-old. The match tie-break concluded 10-8 in Beth’s favour, however, both players went back and forth gaining mini breaks and losing them. The tension was palpable, but in the end the veteran Beth Grey won, procuring a place for herself in the highly contested Week 7 UK Pro League Quarterfinals.

It was a decisive match in the Pool B bout between Ewan Moore and Joshua Paris, who were both vying for a place in the Quarterfinals. The match began with Ewan Moore, the underdog, playing efficiently and handling the authoritarian serve of Paris nonchalantly. Great rallies were had by both men, both employing the drop-shot frequently. Ultimately, Paris was able to just overcome Moore in the first set tie-break beating him 7-6(4). The second set weaved a different tale, a once confident Moore was replaced by a beaten spirit, in the first set he won 70% of return points and in the second he won 30%. This difference allowed Paris to take hold of the game and show just how brilliant he can be; the match ended 7-6(4), 6-1.

There were decisive victories for Eliz Maloney and Arina Vasilescu against Jessica Matthews and Summer Yardley respectively. Maloney’s consistency and power on the court wowed the alternative filling in for Holly Hutchinson, who could not handle the game of the 21-year-old. In the Vasilescu bout, Jessica Matthews, although losing a set, came back in the second to gain a few set points. However the power and precision of Vasilescu’s game held true, and she wrapped the game up 6-2, 7-5.

In the Men’s Pool D matchup, Harry Wendelken beat Tiran Sanghera in a competent straight sets victory. Wendelken advances, as a result, to the top of Pool D and will play Josh Paris in an exciting Quarterfinals matchup tomorrow!

In the last match of the day, Alice Gillan (Week 6 Winner) beat Emma Cohen 6-2, 6(5)-7, 10-6 in a closely fought battle. Gillan, the great ball striker, displayed great prowess in the first set to break Cohen twice, winning every return she made to the Cohen second serve. However, Cohen was not to be counted out. Gillan was broken a few times during the second set by a promising and electric Cohen, but she brought the game back to 6-5. Through sheer grit and determination along with her elusive speed Cohen won the second set in a close tie-break. Ultimately, Gillan’s experience helped her overcome the nervy match tie-break and hang on to win 10-6. Cohen’s performance must not be understated, she played exceptionally well.

Day 3 Results:

• George Loffhagen bt Maceo Simpson 6-0, 6-2
• Alexis Canter bt Billy Harris 4-6, 7-6(11), 18-16
• Arina Vasilescu bt Jessica Matthews 6-2, 7-5
• Beth Grey bt Michelle Dzjachangirova 6-3, 5-7, 10-8
• Eliz Maloney bt Summer Yardley 6-1, 6-1
• Josh Paris bt Ewan Moore 7-6(4), 6-1
• Harry Wendelken bt Tiran Sanghera 6-2, 6-3
• Alice Gillan bt Emma Cohen 6-2, 6(5)-7, 10-6

Week 7 Quarterfinalists:

Women

Pool A
• Danielle Daley
• Beth Grey

Pool B
• Eliz Mahoney
• Jizel Fernandes

Pool C
• Arina Vasilescu
• Lauryn John-Baptiste

Pool D
• Nadia Rawson
• Alice Gillan

Mens

Pool A
• George Houghton
• Alexis Canter

Pool B
• Dan Cox
• Josh Paris

Pool C
• Anton Matusevich
• George Loffhagen

Pool D
• Harry Wendelken
• Joe Tyler

9th – 12th Playoffs:

Men:

• Tiran Sanghera
• Billy Harris
• Maceo Simpson
• Ewan Moore

Women:

• Emma Cohen
• Jessica Matthews
• Summer Yardley
• Michelle Dzjachangirova

6th November, 2022

Week 7 – Day 1 Recap

The final qualifying week of UKPL is underway at Gosling Tennis Centre!

The day began with George Houghton securing a well fought victory against Alexis Canter, 6-4, 6-3, 10-2. Houghton appears in fine form after his 3rd and 2nd place finishes in the previous two qualifying weeks. Today’s matchup displayed his recent form against strong contender Alexis Canter. The first set seemed routine for Houghton as he dictated rallies from the back of the court with his blistering ground strokes and powerful serve. However, in the second set, Canter had a spike of focus, picking off Houghton’s second serves with confidence shining from his racket. Houghton, however, held his nerve at the important moment and played clinically in the third set tie-break to secure his first win of week 7.

Woman’s Pool C saw Lauryn John-Baptiste triumph in a confident straight sets victory over Jessica Matthews, a young rising player who recently participated in her first 60k ITF tournament in Glasgow. The 23-year-old broke early in the first set, showing firm resolve to hold the set (6-4) against a composed and varied attack launched by youngster Jessica. In the second set, Lauryn demonstrated her consistency by shutting the door on Jessica, giving her the provisional top spot in Pool C. Lauryn currently sits at 13th in the UK Pro League table and so a win this week would secure her a position in the UK Pro League finals in Nottingham. She is certainly one to watch this week.

In another match, Jizel Fernandes took on Holly Hutchinson in a closely fought battle. Hutchinson’s ball striking seemed imperious in the first set and she was able to force a break in the Fernandes serve to make it 4-3. When it all seemed finished, Fernandes came back from 0-30 down to hold her serve and break the impenetrable Hutchinson serve with some tactical ball striking. Once again, against all odds, Fernandes came back in the tie-break from 4-1 to win 9-7 in a nail-biting finish. In an unfortunate turn of events, Hutchinson retired from the match and the UK Pro League tournament due to a back injury. This leaves Eliz Maloney and Jizel Fernandes to battle alternate Summer Yardley for the top spot in Women’s Pool B.

In the Men’s Pool C match-up, Anton Matusevich, the 2021 men’s UK Pro League Champion took on UK Pro League debutant George Loffhagen in a thrilling two-hour long game. Both players seemed extremely comfortable on the hard-court surface, striking the ball with immense power. The first set went back and forward constantly with Matusevich getting the better of Loffhagen in a tie-break (7-2), with his serve dictating the fast-paced tempo of play. It was all to play for in the second set, which did not disappoint. Matusevich, in the second set, won almost 90% of the points off his dominant first serve offering up little opportunity for Loffhagen to take control, but Loffhagen’s court coverage and defensive skills led to a gripping contest. Although, Matusevich persevered and broke Loffhagen’s serve in the death to win his first match of the Week 7 matches. Matusevich is looking like a strong contender for back-to-back UK Pro League titles (a feat never achieved before in UK Pro League history).

In Men’s Pool D, Joe Tyler, UK Pro League Debutant was able to stave off the ferocious attack of Tiran Sanghera to currently top his respective pool. Tyler showed enormous resolution to fight back from a second set defeat and win the tie-break comfortably, and announce himself as a key contender for the Week 7 competition.

In the Women’s Pools, Nadia Rawson and Danielle Daley both won in straight sets against Michelle Dzjachangirova and Emma Cohen respectively, to reserve their place at the top of their pools after day 1.

Full Day 2 Results:

• George Houghton bt Alexis Canter 6-4, 3-6, 10-2
• Lauryn John-Baptiste bt Jessica Matthews 6-4, 6-1
• Jizel Fernandes bt Holly Hutchinson 7-6(7) ret.
• Anton Matusevich bt George Loffhagen 7-6(2), 7-5
• Danielle Daley bt Michelle Dzjachangirova 6-1, 6-1
• Nadia Rawson bt Emma Cohen 6-1, 6-2
• Joe Tyler bt Tiran Sanghera 6-3, 2-6, 10-1

3rd October, 2022

Gillan and Matusevich win UK Pro League Week 6

2021 UK Pro League champion Anton Matusevich revelled in marking his return to court with UK Pro League Week 6 victory in Aldershot. The Sevenoaks star beat George Houghton 6-3, 6-4 in Saturday’s men’s singles final at the Aldershot Tennis Centre. It rounded off a near-perfect week for the 21-year-old who dropped just one set across his five matches – against Houghton in their opening pool match last Sunday.

And though he did not feel the level was quite as high on Saturday as their first match, Matusevich was still thrilled to cap his week with victory. He said:

“I think the level was worse than the first one against George, but usually against George it’s a pretty good battle. Today I don’t think he was playing well from the back but I was serving very well and just utilised an indoor hard court – my favourite surface – and got the job done in the end.
“I’m very pleased. I haven’t actually played a tournament in a month, month-and-a-half so to win my first tournament back, there’s a lot of good players here so I’m very pleased.
“What I’m most pleased with this week is that my serve and forehand were pretty good and my attitude as well.”

The Premier League of British tennis, the innovative format is the only season-long competition for the UK’s top professionals and brings them together for seven weeks of action to qualify for the UK Pro League Finals Week in November.

Joining Matusevich in the winner’s circle this week was Alice Gillan, who battled past Beth Grey to seal victory.

Dartford’s Gillan, who did not drop a set in the pool stage or her quarter-final clash, held off a fightback by Grey to prevail 7-6(2), 1-6 [10-8] to seal Week 6 victory in Surrey.

The 24-year-old was pleased to overcome a familiar opponent, and grab a UK Pro League victory after playing several editions of the events. She said:

“It was a tough battle. Beth’s a good player – I’ve played her quite a few times before. I also train with her sometimes so we know how each other play. She’s a good player, but I was pleased to get through it and thought I played quite well.

“I actually couldn’t be happier. I’ve been playing Pro League since the beginning – it’s my third year now, I’m trying to play as many as I can – so to come away with a win was really good. It’s helped to fund a lot of players’ tournaments and travel. I think it’s definitely going to help me now to push on and improve my WTA ranking.

“Overall, I feel my serve has been especially good this week. I’m most pleased with my serve, but generally I feel fairly calm on court. The most improved thing has been my serve.”

4th September, 2022

Wendelken and Maloney win Week 5 of the UK Pro League

Harry Wendelken hailed the UK Pro League as the perfect tonic after triumphing in Week 5 of the event at the National Tennis Centre.


Cambridge’s Wendelken had not dropped a set on his way to the final and was in sparkling form to beat Max Basing 6-1, 7-6(2) and claim victory in Roehampton.
The Premier League of British tennis, the innovative format is the only season-long competition for the UK’s top professionals and brings them together for seven weeks of action to qualify for the UK Pro League Finals Week in November.
The 20-year-old has battled with multiple illnesses over the past two months and is still on antibiotics but Wendelken, who has moved up to third in the rankings, praised the UK Pro League format for giving him and other players the opportunities to consistently build up match strength.

He said: “This is probably some of the best tennis I’ve played. I’ve been having a tough time the past couple of months with illnesses and stuff like that – I actually have a chest infection at the moment, and I’m taking antibiotics this week.
“I’m really happy and pleased that I managed to put in performances day after day this week as it’s not easy to play well every day and I feel like I’ve done that.
“The UK Pro League gives you that ability to play lots of matches and feel good on the court, and that’s how I approach it.
“I feel like it gives people a lot of opportunities to play matches, as I feel like when you play Futures it takes you some time to start playing well in tournaments.”

In the women’s event, Eliz Maloney claimed victory, easing past Katie Stresnakova 6-1, 6-2 in Saturday’s final.


Londoner Maloney only dropped one set all week and will now move to second in the women’s Pro League rankings in her quest to reach the finals, with only Stresnakova ahead of her.

And she credited a new aggressive mindset for her success, saying: “I thought it was a hard battle [today]. Whenever I play Katie I have some very long rallies, but I went in with a game plan and I just executed well today.
“I’m very happy. Off the back of a few 25K events I just wanted to use this week and the five matches to push my game and try and make some improvements, and I was very just very grateful to get through the quarter-final match against [Elena] Malygina.
“I’ve just been trying to be a bit more aggressive, take the ball on, keep my court position close to the baseline and take a few more risks. It doesn’t always pay off at the moment but overall I’m pleased that I stuck to it and it did start to click towards the end of the week.”

14th June, 2022

The UK Pro League 2022 so far

The UK Pro League has returned with as much firey and passionate competition as ever. As we approach week 5, we look back on what has happened so far this year.

The third annual edition of the UK Pro league kicked off on January 16th, 2022, at the LTA National Tennis Centre in Roehampton. A host of familiar faces returned as Eliz Maloney, Josh Paris, Henry Patten, and Freya Christie all featured on week 1. Featured also were the winners of both the men’s and women’s competition last year, with Anton Matusevich and Sonay Kartal advancing to the semi-final stage.

Matusevich, who was enjoying a run of 22 consecutive wins in the competition, booked his spot in the semi-finals with an efficient 1-hour win over Luke Johnson. He set up the semi-final against Alastair Gray, making his second semi-final appearance after the one in week 2 in 2020. It was not to be for the 2021 Champion, where a mature performance from Gray denied him the final spot. Gray went on to win the week beating Ryan Peniston 6-3, 6-4.

In the women’s draw, Sonay Kartal was joined in the semi-final stage by the determined Eliz Maloney. Kartal was able to win in a third-set tiebreak to reach her fifth UK Pro League final. The 20-year-old faced debutant Arina Vasilescu in the final, who outed the resident champion in a turnaround from their group stage game where Vasilescu only won three games. The Romanian, who was the one permitted ‘guest’ player this week survived a few match points on her way to 18 ranking points and the week’s win.

Week 2 kicked off in Sheffield at the Graves Health and Sports Centre with debutants galore. In a gripping set of finals, it was two of them who clinched the win and all 18 rankings points.

in the Women’s competition, the Estonian Elena Malygina blew away all competition over the course of the week, defeating week one winner Arina Vasilescu and Anna Brogan on her way to the final. In the final she disposed of Sofia Samavati 6-1, 6-4 as the completed an almost perfect week of tennis.

Over the men’s draw, it was Brandon Murphy who grabbed a stunning week 2 win on his Pro League debut. He defeated two experienced UK Pro League campaigners in Luke Johnson and Billy Harris as he set course for 18 ranking points. Week 2 marked his return from a year away from tennis and he was grateful for the time on court.

His win meant that he went second of the league rankings, only trailing the losing finalist, Luke Johnson.

Going into week 3, Brandon Murphy was red hot, and made it back-to-back weeks with his win at the Gosling Sports Park in Welwyn Garden City. He became only the second man to win back-to-back weeks of the UK Pro League. His 6-3, 6-4 win over Dan Cox was as efficient as it was impressive and took him to a total of 36 ranking points – enough to grab the top spot.

The women’s draw was filled with talent in week 3, the winner of two weeks last year, Lauryn John-Baptiste returning for her second week of the year. Lauryn could only reach the semi-final stage amid fierce competition and increasingly high standards. Eventual winner Andre Lukosiute outed John-Baptiste in a marathon 2h25m match. It meant that Lukosiute moved into the final against Katie Stresnakova, playing her first ever UK Pro League final. In the end, it was a tightly fought match, the players only separated by a championship tiebreak that finished 13-11.

Dan Cox, who took home third place in lasts years finals, won his first week of this year’s competition. Added to his second-place finish in the week prior, Cox finds himself in second spot in the rankings. He was able to fend off a comeback from Billy Harris to secure a straight sets victory.

On the women’s side, Scots Maia Lumsden completed her dream comeback, by winning week 4 after being on the side-lines for more than 18th months due to suffering of long Covid. She managed to beat youngster Marni Banks in an exciting final, that was decided only at the tiebreak.

After a tantalising first four weeks of the year’s competition, we have reached the mid-season break. The UK Pro League returns in August and with it comes more elite British tennis competition.

11th April, 2022

Lumsden and Cox win week 4 of the UK Pro League

Maia Lumsden admitted she had no real expectations heading into Week 4 of the 2022 UK Pro League after completing a remarkable recovery from long Covid to triumph in Saturday’s final at Warwick University.

Lumsden, 24, is returning to the sport after an 18-month layoff and marked her return with a strong week that resulted in a hard-fought victory over Marni Banks in the final. There have been times over the past 18 months where the Scottish star has struggled to get out of bed due to her illness, though the UK Pro League has provided the perfect platform for her to start her comeback.

And in the men’s final, victory went the way of experienced Daniel Cox, who fended off a comeback from Billy Harris to prevail in straight sets.

Glasgow ace Lumsden, who won three singles and three doubles titles on the ITF Circuit before being struck down with the virus in 2020, said:

“Physically, it was a tough one. “Obviously it was great to get through in a tiebreak as tiebreaks to ten are always quite tight. “I thought I played well in the first set and then it was a bad game to lose my serve in the second, but that was all that was in it. I’m glad I found my game for the tiebreak. “I didn’t really have any expectations in terms of results. My goal was to just manage the five matches and hope I was going to feel fine through it. To get a win is such a nice bonus.

“The fact that no matter the result I was going to get a number of matches was perfect for me in this situation. To come through them and be feeling OK is a massive positive as before the event I guess I wasn’t sure exactly how I’d feel and how I’d react. Overall it’s been really positive to get all these matches this week.

“It feels great to be back playing after such a long time. I’ve really missed the feeling of competitive matches so to be playing all these matches this week is a great feeling. The event’s been great. It’s so well run and I’ll definitely be back.”

Banks and Lumsden had previously contested one the matches of the event in the pool stage, with Banks prevailing 6-7(5), 7-5, 11-9 on the opening day at Warwick University. Despite an opening defeat Lumsden rallied and won every other match she contested to reach the final, while Banks was unbeaten approaching the Saturday showpiece.

This proved to be another tight encounter, though it was Lumsden who prevailed to cap a memorable return to tennis.

The Scottish star was in control of the opening set, breaking twice, though Banks responded with a strong second set to force a deciding tiebreak. But Lumsden was able to wrestle back control of the encounter, and some impressive tennis in the closing stages saw her claim a 6-2, 3-6, 10-4 win in an hour and 40 minutes.

In the men’s event, Cox and Harris had picked up a string of comprehensive victories on their way to the final, with neither player dropping a set across their previous matches.

And Cox continued his dominant form at the start of the contest, comfortably claiming the opening set and racing to a double break lead as he closed in on victory. However, Harris refused to go down without a fight and battled back from 4-1 down to force a second-set tiebreak against the Lincoln star.

A nail-biting tiebreak ensued and Harris had a handful of chances to force a deciding ten-point tiebreak, though the 31-year-old held firm and closed out a 6-2, 7-6(9) victory in an hour and 56 minutes. Cox, who reached the first round of Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, said: “I started off really well, going 6-2, 4-1 up and was really happy with the way I was playing, but then I took my foot off the gas a little bit.

“He started to improve, to miss a little less, he did well to claw it back at the end. It feels good after reaching a few finals. This is my first win since the Pro League started so I’m really happy to come through with a win, especially from being quite far up in the match and eventually nearly losing the second set. I’m really relieved to get through that.

“We’ve got four ITF 25ks in Nottingham coming up. I only live 45-50 minutes away so there I obviously want to try and make the most of it. Having won this tournament is good preparation!”

With nearly half a million pounds of prize money up for grabs across the season, all the thrills and spills are broadcast live on BT Sport, The Tennis Channel and UKproleague.tv.  News and updates across the season can be found at ukproleague.com

 

7th April, 2022

Week 4 | Day 4: Lumsden completes an incredible comeback to progress into the semi-finals

A super Wednesday packed with action at the University of Warwick, featuring all quarterfinal matches and the 9-12th play-off kicking off.

Maia Lumsden, who has been on the side-line for the past 18 months suffering with long Covid, completed one of the best comebacks in the UKPL history, winning 6 straight games in the second set after being one set and 5-1 down.

 

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“Resilience personified”, as Abigail Johnson described her at the end of the 1hr 45min battle, Lumsden suffered the great ball-striking and precision of Stresnakova for the first 13 games. The Slovak ace had been relentless up to the 5-1 service game in the second set, letting very little past her. The Glaswegian, however, managed to find her form, and raised her game to push the match to the decider. With the 1-6, 7-5, 10-4 win over Stresnakova, Lumsden accessed the semi-finals in the UKPL for the second time, after her very first 2020 appearance at St. George Hill tennis club.

Marni Banks also reached the semi-final stages for the second time in a row by defeating Scarff 6-2, 6-4.

The other two women’s quarterfinal matches went the distance, with Daley having the best over teenager Greatorex 6-1, 2-6, 10-8 and Maloney beating Gillan 5-7, 6-4, 10-4 on Court 1.

On the men’s side, all the favourite players are through the semi-finals, with Cox, Murphy and Recci all winning in straight sets in less than a hour each. The highest ranked player of the week, Billy Harris, had to work slightly harder against Hodkin, who had a perfect start to his quarter final match. The 23-year-old managed to break early on Harris’s serve in the first set and had three set points, but he didn’t manage to convert leaving a big opportunity for Harris to come back and win in straight sets 7-6(4), 6-1.

In the 9-12th play-offs, Hands, Foley, Fernandes and Bagerbaseh got important wins over Doe, Hou, Okoye and Mansfield respectively.

 

Full Day 4 results

Brandon Murphy bt Sam Reeve 6-2, 6-2

Billy Harris bt Sean Hodkin7-6(4), 6-1

Maia Lumsden bt Katarina Stresnakova 1-6, 7-5, 10-4

Marni Banks bt Eleonor Scarff 6-2, 6-4

Dan Cox bt James MacKinlay 6-0, 6-0

Mason Recci bt Felix Mischker 6-1, 6-2

Eliz Maloney bt Alice Gillan 7-5, 4-6, 10-4

Danielle Daley bt Adeola Greatorex 6-1, 2-6, 10-8

Tom Hands bt Matt Doe 6-4, 6-1

Patrick Foley bt Ying Hou 6(2)-7, 6-3, 10-7

Jizel Fernandes  bt Jada Okoye 6-0, 6-2

Kapari Bagerbaseh bt Kate Mansfield 6-2, 6-3

4th April, 2022

Week 4 | Day 2 Recap: Murphy picks up from where he left off

Winner of week 2 and 3 Brandon Murphy picked up on his UKPL 2022 adventure exactly from where he left off by beating Hands 7-6(5), 6-3. The match probably didn’t start the way Brandon had expected it, with Hands taking an early break, but the 21-year-old managed to turn it around resisting Hand’s counter attacks and making the best out of his great serve and powerful forehands.

 

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Billy Harris celebrated his new career high of 397 with a solid win over Felix Mischker. The Isle of Man star got it done in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4, breaking Mischker’s serve early on in both sets and finishing the match with an incredible 97% first serve points won.

The last match of the day in the men’s draw saw Hodkin and Recci fighting it through for nearly 2 hours, with the latter coming out victorious 6-4, 5-7, 11-9 in a dramatic decider.

On the women’s side, Stresnakova and Maloney trotted through their matches, both winning in straight sets and reaching the top spots in pool B and C respectively. They are now automatically through to the quarterfinals of week 4 and will have to wait until the end of play tomorrow to find out who their opponents will be.

The last match of the day saw teenager Adeola Greatorex upsetting Alice Gillan 7-5, 6-2 and with this key victory she reaches the quarter finals for the very first time at the UKPL.

The last day of group stages will start at 11am, live on Tennis Channel and BT Sport Extra.

 

Full Day 2 results

Brandon Murphy bt Tom Hands 7-6(5), 6-3

Dan Cox bt Patrick Foley 6-3, 7-5

Maia Lumsden bt Soumeya Anane 6-1, 6-3

Katie Stresnakova bt Kapari Bagerbaseh 6-0, 6-2

Billy Harris bt Felix Mischker 6-1, 6-4

Mason Recci bt Sean Hodkin 6-4, 5-7, 11-9

Eliz Maloney bt Danielle Daley 6-2, 6-4

Adeola Greatorex bt Alice Gillan 7-5, 6-2