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27th September, 2021

Week 8 Kicks off! Appleton, Rawson, Paris and Dunne all feature in Aldershot

Bath University hosted yet another fantastic week of UK Pro League action as Sonay Kartal and Giles Hussey (Below) were crowned winners.

Just a week later and the UK Pro League is back with Emily Appleton, Katy Dunne (Pictured Below), Nadia Rawson, Josh Paris, Dan Cox and Tiffany William in action at Aldershot Tennis Centre. Week 8 features a boosted men’s draw with 16 players featuring. All 28 players are competing for valuable ranking points in the race to qualify for the lucrative Finals Week.

Week 8 of the UKPL continues with the same format in the women’s draw, with players still playing 5 matches in 7 days in 4 pools of 3 players each. This week the men’s format continues in its expanded version, bringing more edge of your seat action for UK Pro League fans to enjoy. 16 of the very best British men’s players will compete, split up into 4 pools of 4 players.

The 1st placed qualifier in each men’s group will progress straight to the semi-finals. The 2nd placed qualifier will move to a 5th-8th play-off. The 3rd and 4th placed players will move to a 9th-12th play-off and 13th-16th play-off respectively. With 4 extra men’s players this week it promises to be the most action packed week of the UK Pro League so far.

Day 1 is full of high class matchups with Emily Appleton vs Nadia Rawson and Katy Dunne vs Lauryn John-Baptiste just some of the highlights.

Follow all the action live from 10.30 a.m. on our brand new platform: UKPL.tv as well as BT Sport Extra and Tennis Channel.

23rd September, 2021

Kartal and Hussey win week 7

A dominant showing from Sonay Kartal saw her power past Emma Wilson en route to a UK Pro League hat-trick as she won the women’s final for the third Week in a row.

Heading into the final, 19-year-old south coast star Kartal had won the previous two UK Pro League events, tasting success during Weeks 5 and 6 at Aldershot and Chelsea respectively. And she managed to make it three from three with a convincing 6-0, 6-3 straight-sets win over Wilson at the University of Bath.

 

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Kartal said: I think I kept my form up from yesterday [the semi-finals].
“I didn’t really give her [Wilson] many opportunities to get a head start in the match which was positive.
“I kept my unforced error count pretty low and was just dominating really with my forehand on the court.”

 

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Kartal, who competed at Finals Week of last season’s UK Pro Series in Weybridge, added: “For me, the Pro League has been really beneficial.
“I’ve used it as match play to put my body under the stress of going abroad and playing tournaments, to make sure when I play them I’m fully fit.
“They’re good, guaranteed matches. It’s unique and it’s definitely helped me a lot.”

Meanwhile, in the men’s final, Giles Hussey came through in straight sets to defeat Billy Harris 6-3 6-4 and Hussey, who trains in Bath, admitted familiar surroundings contributed towards his Pro League success.

Hussey said: “I thought the match today was really good. I thought I executed my game plan and served really well and I got off to a good start in both sets and I held onto my serve – I was very happy with it.
“I thought it was a good week, and a good debut. Overall I’ve just really enjoyed the event – It’s quite good just being at Bath because it’s my home centre and it’s where I train.
“So I’m very used to the courts and the facility and I really enjoyed the event.”

 

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And next up for Hussey is a trip to Mexico, where the 24-year-old hopes to continue his recent fine form following his UK Pro League win. Hussey added: “I’ve got a couple of days off and then I fly to Cancun on Wednesday! “Hopefully I’ll carry on my good form into that and pick up some points.”

Elsewhere, Alice Gillan beat Emily Appleton 6-4, 6-1 in the women’s 3rd-4th match, while in the men’s equivalent, Sean Hodkin edged Dan Cox 6-4, 7-5.

22nd September, 2021

Week 7 Recap: A hat-trick for Sonay Kartal and debut win for Giles Hussey

Week 7 of the UK Pro League which featured and extended men’s draw finished with Sonay Kartal and Giles Hussey crowned winners. It makes it three weeks of the UK Pro League in a row for the 19-year-0ld Sonay Kartal.

 

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Backing up her wins in weeks 5 and 6, Kartal played some scintillating tennis throughout the week, but the win was not without close moments, including defending a match point in her quarter-final against Freya Christie. In the final she ran out winner against Emma Wilson, who was playing her first UK Pro League final. Her most impressive win of the week came in the dismantling of league-leader Emily Appleton in the semi-finals. The 6-0, 6-1 shocked Appleton who has won three weeks of this years competition and before this week had never failed to make the final. After the semi-final Kartal said”

“I’m just going to look to keep on doing what I’m doing, playing an aggressive game style and using my forehand.
“I think I kept my consistency up and played well in the big points under pressure. I didn’t really give her much to work with and my unforced error count was pretty low.

“This week I’m just happy with the consecutive wins I’m getting – I’m coming up against some good players and being able to keep my form and concentration is the main thing.

In the men’s draw debutant Giles Hussey went unbeaten all week to kick start his UK Pro League career in the perfect way. The silky left hander defeated the in-form Week 6 winner Billy Harris in the final 6-3, 6-4. He had to come through a tense semi-final match against Sean Hodkin, which went to a match tiebreak, finishing 6-2, 3-6, 11-9.

With only two more weeks of regulation action before the lucrative finals week kicks off, there was added pressure for players to grab ranking points.  The women’s league leader Emily Appleton failed to reach the final for the first time in 5 attempts, albeit losing out to the incredible Sonay Kartal in the semi-finals.

There was also a standout performance for Sean Hodkin who achieved his best finish at the UK Pro League this year finishing 3rd. He defeated the experienced Dan Cox in the semi-final. Hodkin moves up to 7th position in the league rankings, and with the season drawing to a conclusion every ranking point is more vital than ever.

Week 8 of the UK Pro League kicks off on 27th September, with the UK Pro League returning to the Aldershot Tennis Centre once more.

19th September, 2021

Kartal keeps her hopes for UK Pro League hat-trick

Super Sonay Kartal says her power-packed game plan and aggressive forehand can propel her to a UK Pro League hat-trick.
South coast star Kartal, 19, kept her hopes of a third consecutive triumph alive as she swatted aside Emily Appleton in rapid time in Saturday’s second semi-final. Kartal is the two-time defending week champion in the competition and after roaring to Week 5 and 6 glory in Aldershot and Chelsea, continued where she left off at the University of Bath.

She breezed past Appleton 6-0, 6-1 and confident Kartal, who will now meet Emma Wilson in Sunday’s final, said:  “I’m just going to look to keep on doing what I’m doing, playing an aggressive game style and using my forehand.
“I think I kept my consistency up and played well in the big points under pressure. I didn’t really give her much to work with and my unforced error count was pretty low.

“This week I’m just happy with the consecutive wins I’m getting – I’m coming up against some good players and being able to keep my form and concentration is the main thing.

“I’ve never played Emma – I think I played her two years ago or something. It’s going to be nice to play someone different.”

 

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Kartal, who competed at Finals Weeks of last season’s UK Pro Series in Weybridge, topped Pool C of Week 7 with an unblemished record before battling past Freya Christie in a champion tie-break in the quarter-finals. She made considerably lighter work of Appleton – a three-time week winner – 24 hours later, however, dropping just a single game to romp into Sunday’s eagerly-anticipated showpiece.

There she will meet hotshot Wilson, who toppled Alice Gillan in a deciding tie-break to keep her hopes of West Country glory alive.
Wilson, 24, finished top of her group with Nadia Rawson and Tiffany William and after beating Danielle Daley on Thursday, now has a golden chance of racking up her maiden UK Pro League title.

She said: “I think the match was a bit up and down to begin with but by the time I got to the second set, I was able to be aggressive after my serve and get on her shots.
“Because I was winning my service games fairly easily I was able to be a bit more relaxed on my return games.

“I’m most happy this week with able to being able to fight back – I’ve won a couple of third-set tie-breaks and in the past, I’ve maybe not won as many.
“I’m looking forward to the final – I just need to keep being aggressive on my serve and hopefully find my A-game.
“But if can’t, I just need to find a way to keep fighting back like I have done in my other matches.”

 

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Kartal will take on Wilson bidding to add to her 46-point haul on Sunday while in the men’s competition, Isle of Man ace Billy Harris will duel it out with Giles Hussey after the pair won their semi-finals on Friday.

18th September, 2021

Billy Harris will meet Giles Hussey in the UK Pro League Week 7 final

Red-hot Billy Harris will meet Giles Hussey in the UK Pro League Week 7 final as he looks to rack up consecutive tournament victories in the prestigious domestic showpiece.

Having finished runner-up in Week 1, Harris defeated Week 5 winner Charles Broom to secure victory at the Harbour Club in Chelsea two weeks ago.  And the Isle of Man ace now has a golden chance to clinch back-to-back crowns after reaching a second straight final at the University of Bath. Harris, 26, beat the experienced Dan Cox in a convincing 6-4, 6-4 victory to set up a Saturday showdown against Hussey.

 

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And the in-form star, who went down against Ben Jones in his first pool match of the week in the West Country, said: “You have to stay on top of Dan, otherwise he can run away with it pretty easily, but I thought I started well and I came out serving well.

“After the first match this week where I lost, I’ve come back well and I’m playing slightly better in each match.

“The first serve percentage could have been a bit better. Giles likes long rallies so I’ll look to get forward a bit more and finish points off at the net.”

The first semi-final of the day saw Hussey, 24, edge past Sean Hodkin in a thrilling clash to reach the Week 7 final on his 2021 debut. After winning the opening set he was dragged into a deciding set tiebreak – but ultimately prevailed 6-2, 3-6, 11-9. 

 

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And the Swindon ace, who previously played college tennis in Tennessee, insists he’s buzzing with how he’s hitting the ball ahead of his meeting with Harris this weekend.

He said: “I’m happy about the way I’ve served and my mentality. I think I’ve only been broken twice all week so far and have really been disciplined, hitting my spots well on my serve and being quite focused. 

“The match went well. I started very well and got out to a quick 4-0 lead. Then I think I got a little bit passive and got broken at the start of the second set. I just got a little bit defensive, but ended up bringing it home in a close tiebreaker.

“I’m looking forward to the final. I think I’m just going to have to be brave, go for my shots and see how it goes.”

The women’s semi-finals take place tomorrow, with Sonay Kartal doing battle with Emily Appleton and Alice Gillan facing Emma Wilson.

Kartal and Appleton are two of the form players of 2021. Appleton was Week 1, 3 and 4 winner, whilst Kartal triumphed in both Week 5 and Week 6.

And having lost to Kartal in the Week 5 final, Surrey star Appleton will be gunning for revenge this time. The 22-year-old league leader beat Jizel Fernandes and Danielle Daley in her group, before not dropping a single game in a dominant 6-0, 6-0 quarter-final victory over Nadia Rawson.

Kartal is also unbeaten, with the south coast player comfortably beating Maddie Brooks and Gillan in her pool before a nail-biting 6-4, 2-6, 11-9 win over Freya Christie in her last eight encounter. 

Despite her group stage defeat to Kartal, a victory over Brooks was enough to see Gillan reach the last eight.  And there she impressively toppled Week 6 runner-up Katarina Stresnakova 7-5, 6-2 to set up tomorrow’s last four clash against Wilson.

Wilson started her week with group stage victories over Tiffany William and Rawson, before edging past Daley 6-4, 5-7, 10-5 to reach the semi-final stage. 

12th September, 2021

The UK Pro League is back with week 7

Emma Raducanu’s sensational US Open triumph provides the perfect precursor for another thrilling week of UK Pro League drama.
Raducanu, 18, captured British hearts by beating fellow teen Leylah Fernandez to become the first ever qualifier – male or female – to win a Grand Slam on Saturday night.
The Bromley ace was crowned the inaugural champion of last year’s UK Pro Series and just over 12 months on, this season’s stars are now bidding to follow in her glittering Flushing Meadows footsteps.

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Surrey’s Emily Appleton, 22, remains the runaway leader in the women’s standings while Julian Cash tops the table on the men’s side of the draw.

Appleton will be hellbent on extending her lead against a star-studded line-up at the University of Bath this week, with Billy Harris, Dan Cox, George Houghton and Sean Hodkin seeking to capitalise on Cash’s absence and cut the gap at the summit of the men’s competition.  Cash roared to Week 6 glory in Chelsea last time out but will miss the Week 7 showpiece as a whole host of new faces enter the expanded men’s fray.

David Quayle, Miles Groom and Ben Jones will line up alongside Harris in Box A while Giles Hussey, Felix Mischker and Tiarnan Brady will duel it out with Luke Johnson – who reached Classic Week of last year’s UK Pro Series – in Box B.
With 16 players competing in the men’s draw – rather than the usual 12 – it’s Cox, Adam Jones, Ewan Moore and Matthew Rutter in Box C and Hodkin, Houghton, Ying Hou and Liam Hignett in the fourth and final group.
Harris, 26, is the highest-placed contender of the Week 7 line-up and lies just three points behind Cash while the experienced Cox, Houghton and Hodkin remain in hot pursuit.

 

Cash’s Week 6 triumph hauled him up to 51 points but with Harris on 48, Cox on 37 and Houghton and Hodkin on 29 and 28, the stage is set for a pulsating battle in the West Country.

In the women’s draw, 12 players feature as Freya Christie, Alice Gillan and Sonay Kartal bid to reel in Appleton at the top of the table.
Appleton romped to victories in Weeks 1, 2 and 4 and despite holding an 18-point lead over Eliz Maloney – who beat her in the Week 3 final – at the summit, will be eager to rediscover her momentum.

She will line up against Danielle Daley and Jizel Fernandes in Box B while Box A is made up of Christie – who lies 20 points below Maloney in third – Katarina Stresnakova and Emilia Banos-Gregorians.

Kartal comes into the week as the player in form, however, racking up a crucial 36 points by winning Week 5 and 6 to catapult herself up the standings. She will face off against Gillan and Maddie Brooks in Box C, while it’s Nadia Rawson, Emma Wilson and Tiffany William who make up the final group.

All eyes will be on whether Kartal can make it a UK Pro League hat-trick and if she channels the spirit of trailblazer Raducanu in New York on Saturday night, you wouldn’t bet against her.

12th September, 2021

From UK Pro League 2020 champion to US Open glory: The remarkable rise of Emma Raducanu

Just over a year ago, a 17-year-old Emma Raducanu was crowned the inaugarual winner of the UK Pro League. Over 42 days of elite British Tennis, Raducanu, alongside Liam Broady, won the Golden Pinapple trophy at St George’s tennis club.

 

 

A year later and the breathtaking journey of Raducanu has gone up to a whole new level as she won the US Open. Here are just a few of the remarkable statistics from her triumph.

  • Raducanu becomes the first British Women to win a Major in 44 years
  • She becomes the first qualifier to win a major title
  • The 18-year-old only made her WTA debut in June
  • Playing in only her second ever Grand Slam
  • She becomes the youngest Brit to win a major
  • The first women to win a major without dropping a set since Serena Williams in 2014
  • Her new WTA ranking is 23 and she becomes British No.1

Her career has been catapulted to a extraordinary level in the past year, showcasing the ability of the UK Pro League to develop top-level British tennis players. In New York, a captivating final against Leylah Fernandez, a fellow teenager, ended 6-4, 6-3. Raducanu finished the match off in brilliant style with a wide ace. She collapsed to the ground before taking in the adulation of Flushing Meadows crowd, all whilst beaming with her trademark smile.

 

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Read Also: Raducanu’s fairytale run at Wimbledon 2021

 

Keep up with the UK Pro League 2021 Week 7 which starts on 13th August at 11:00 AM on BT Sport Extra, ukproleague.tv or the Tennis Channel

 

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