Girls: 2008 Junior Fed Cup - San Luis Potosi, Mexico

DavidC · Tennis legend

Girls: 2008 Junior Fed Cup - San Luis Potosi, Mexico

DavidC · Tennis legend

GBR defeated China 3-0

Heather defeated Xin Wen 7-5 6-4
Tara defeated Yi Zhong 7-5 6-3
Heather/Tara won the doubles 6-7(4) 6-3 6-3

In the other match in their group Chile beat Mexico 2-1

Heather is blogging on the ITF website: Here is an extract:

"Its great to be here in San Luis Potosi. Its a really nice club and a lovely hotel and the only down side so far has been the weather. Weve been here three or four days and its been raining every day. Today we played our first match against China and I think we had to stop at least five times, which was frustrating. Everyone always blames British people when it rains because it rains so much back in the UK and the American coach came up to us today and said, its just like home, isnt it? We all laughed."

DavidC · Tennis legend

Although the LTA has Jennifer Ren listed as the third team member this seems unlikely given she played in China yesterday. Someone who has seen a photo of the British team reckons that the third player is Amy Askew, but there is no official confirmation as yet.

Happycynic · Pro player

Tara is doing her LTA service again. Cool to have Heather's blog.

steven · Tennis legend

Another 3-0 win, this time v the hosts, Mexico

but a very tight doubles rubber this time:

Heather Watson beat Karen Hernandez 0 & 2
Tara Moore beat Carolina Betancourt 3 & 3
Askew/Watson beat Betancourt/Zacarias 4-6 6-3 8-6

Happycynic · Pro player

And they finish off the group stage with another win against Chile
From the LTA report
"Watson got the team off to a winning start against Chile by toughing out the opening rubber against Daniela Seguel 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 before Moore gave Great Britain an unassailable lead with a 6-2, 7-6(3) win over Fernando Brito."
(they don't mention the doubles in the report)

They face Belarus in the SF.

DavidC · Tennis legend

The doubles provided their first loss of the week - Heather and Amy losing 7-5 7-6(2) to Brito and Seguel, but it was an irrelevant match as far as GB is concerned.

The Belarus number 1 iss the precocious Anna Orlik, who thumped Anna Smith 1 & 1 earlier in the year.

Happycynic · Pro player

That'll be fun for Tara. Actually, I suspect she'll enjoy the challenge having not dropped a set in the three matches so far.

DavidC · Tennis legend

She certainly did enjoy the challenge!

GBR 2 - Belarus 1

Heather Watson d. Svetlana Pirazhenka 6-1 6-2 t
Tara Moore d. Anna Orlik 6-1, 6-3
Watson/Moore lost to Orlik/Pirazhenka 7-5 5-7 2-1rtd

Hopefully the retirement was precautionary.

From the LTA site: "After another confident, poised performance on Saturday, Moore admitted that her team-mate had taken some of the pressure off her as the teams designated No.1 player. Heather played so well and that made me feel a lot better because you can go out there knowing that even if you do lose your match you can still win it in the doubles, said Moore. Thats a really good feeling to go out there with confidence and be able to bring it home.

They play the USA in the final. The US number 1 is Kristie Ahn, who qualified for the US Open main draw, and took 7 games off Dinara Safina.

-- Edited by DavidC at 10:39, 2008-09-28

steven · Tennis legend

That's a stunning Scoreline for Tara against Orlik!

I wonder why the retirement happened.

Mervatron · Masters Series Champion

Great stuff from the girls. heres hoping they can take revenge for the under 14's loss against USA

Happycynic · Pro player

Tara has really advanced in the last six months-that is a great score line.

The final will be a massive test- but they've done really well to make it in such style, and I'm sure they'll give it a really great go. Nothing to lose now!

johnnylad · Tennis legend

Thrashing Orlik is very encouraging!

Big shout out to Heather for her performances this week too!

Peter too · Tennis legend

GBR v USA Final 0-2

Heather Watson lost to Christina Mchale 2-6 2-6
Tara Moore lost to Kristie Ahn 7-6 1-6 5-7

Tara stood at match point serving at 5-3 in the 3rd but couldn't clinch it to take the match to the doubles.

DavidC · Tennis legend

Extracts from the LTA site:

"Moores was the more gruelling encounter, especially since she had to play with inflamed tendons in her playing arm. In one of the most tightly contested matches of the week, Moore fought back from a break down in the third set to force a match-point, only to have it snatched away when the umpire ruled that an impossibly deep Ahn backhand had landed in..........

British girls captain Iain Bates said he could not have asked for more from his team. Im really proud of what the team has achieved this week. The match between Tara and Kristie Ahn was suitable as the clinching match of such a great event and for Tara to battle through and force a match point after being down and out at the start of the third set was testament to her character.

......Proud is a really good word to sum up not only what these girls have achieved but what British junior girls have achieved in 2008, said Bates. One of the nicest things has been how much fun the girls have had as well as having real belief and conviction on the court. I think having that balance is testament to where British womens tennis is going.