Gosh, Tara isnt hanging about. Anyone had a chance to see her recently / this week? I remember reading that she is moving better now?
Seems that if her movement could get near to the quality of her hitting she will really start climbing. I see no reason for her to not start closing in on top 200.
Go on Tara! Take the title.
-- Edited by murray_2k9 on Saturday 12th of November 2011 01:20:00 PM
Gosh, Tara isnt hanging about. Anyone had a chance to see her recently / this week? I remember reading that she is moving better now?
Seems that if her movement could get near to the quality of her hitting she will really start climbing. I see no reason for her to not start closing in on top 200.
Go on Tara! Take the title.
-- Edited by murray_2k9 on Saturday 12th of November 2011 01:20:00 PM
Yes, Tara had has had a good second half to the year and really good last couple of months in particular. It's a pity that very much like last year it has taken so late in the year for her really to string quite a lot of decent points scoring performances together.
She has earned 110 counting ranking points in the second half of the year. Add a similar first half and that's getting you around the top 250.
I think getting more back into the system and funding would help her further development. Now there was a big feeling on the forum ( including myself ) that she was really unfortunate not to have been in the AEGON funding group for this year after her 2010 which included a big leap up the rankings with especially that strong finish to the year.
But now, one year later and a year older , with a similarish but bit better ranking points year to last year, there must be some doubt about her funding for next year. It would be better from that point of view if she was top 300. I would like to see her funded but I suspect when the LTA put their measures to work, she won't be
She finished last year ranked WR 349 on 124 points. Getting to the final here will take her provisionally ( on Monday week ) to about WR 320 on 152 points with 4 more points if she wins the final and only 4 further points due to come off this year.
I think getting more back into the system and funding would help her further development. Now there was a big feeling on the forum ( including myself ) that she was really unfortunate not to have been in the AEGON funding group for this year after her 2010 which included a big leap up the rankings with especially that strong finish to the year.
I partly wonder if she is playing these 10Ks because she isn't AEGON funded; they are cheap to go to, she earns some cash there in prize money, and she earns an LTA/Aegon bonus based on her performance (I presume she has signed on the dotted line to be well behaved). I think last week will have netted her about 1K, this week similar if not more.
There has, after all, been only one match possible against a higher ranked opponent (last week's final) and with an upper limit of 12 points for a win, only marginal ranking point gains to be made. So there aren't compelling tennis reasons to be there, except to keep her hand in competitively (another possibly reason to be playing I guess).
Suspect the winter low season is quite financially tough on the likes of Tara.
I too was very sorry her ranking rise last year wasn't rewarded with AEGON support. I would be very surprised if she was AEGON funded next year, as the rise this year has been modest. Alas, because I think she actually has the potential for a decent ranking rise, and I think her attitude is there too.
I partly wonder if she is playing these 10Ks because she isn't AEGON funded; they are cheap to go to, she earns some cash there in prize money, and she earns an LTA/Aegon bonus based on her performance (I presume she has signed on the dotted line to be well behaved). I think last week will have netted her about 1K, this week similar if not more.
There has, after all, been only one match possible against a higher ranked opponent (last week's final) and with an upper limit of 12 points for a win, only marginal ranking point gains to be made. So there aren't compelling tennis reasons to be there, except to keep her hand in competitively (another possibly reason to be playing I guess).
Suspect the winter low season is quite financially tough on the likes of Tara.
I too was very sorry her ranking rise last year wasn't rewarded with AEGON support. I would be very surprised if she was AEGON funded next year, as the rise this year has been modest. Alas, because I think she actually has the potential for a decent ranking rise, and I think her attitude is there too.
I am very happy to see her back on form though.
Yes, I do see how Tara playing these 10Ks could be for financial reasons, though it will just be her 4th 10K of the year.
And if she wins the title here, I'd say the points gained for her are more than marginal. The bulk of her decent points over the last 2 years have been in the 12 to 15 range with just two more than that, 20 and 24 from the quite recent Shrewsbury 75K and Glasgow 25K tournaments respectively.
If she wins tomorrow, she will add 11 of the 12 points to her counting total ( displacing a 1 ) and that will repreesnt the difference between about WR 330 and WR 315 ( a possible CH ) in the rankings on Monday week.
Be good though, yes, if in the coming year she can consistently play 25K and above and start adding more 20 + point scores to really move up these rankings.