If I understand correctly, a key thing for Hannah in the year to come will be the number of adult tournaments she can participate in - which is not the same as the Junior Accelerator Programme, as those are like wildcards but count towards the total
The basic for a 16 year-old is 12.
As a Grand Slam finalist, she's now guaranteed one extra event i.e. 13
But if she finishes in the top-5, she gets bumped up to the max number i.e. 16 (you can't then keep your extra one i.e. 17 because 16 is max for everyone)
So, she's already got an uptick but needs the top-5 place in particular - although, of course, she's soon 17 after that, so it's just a question of extra adult tournaments in that time period, in Australia, say.
By making a Grand Slam final, she also gets an extra wildcard WTA/ITF allowance i.e. it's normally 4 and now goes up to 5
That's if I understand it correctly
Just to clarify, if she were to finish top 5 at year end, she would get 4 additional adult tournaments and 2 additional WCs over the standard allowance in each birth year she remains of junior age. In any birth year the most additional tournaments a player is allowed is 4 and the most extra wild cards is 2. So while you're correct in what you say that she wouldn't be able to play more than 16 tournaments while she is 16, its worth pointing out that as a 17 year old her adult tournament allowance would increase from the standard 16 to 20 tournaments. She wouldn't get any extra WCs as there are no AER limits on WCs as a 17 year.
Well done to Hannah on a great tournament ( who a few months ago would have expected a French Open final? ) and sometimes you just have to say "Too good!"
Be very interesting to watch both girls' continuing development.
Especially given she was already being written off here by some just a couple of weeks ago.
Well done to Hannah on a great tournament ( who a few months ago would have expected a French Open final? ) and sometimes you just have to say "Too good!"
Be very interesting to watch both girls' continuing development.
Especially given she was already being written off here by some just a couple of weeks ago.
I dont think it is about writing off. TBH Hannah has had a pretty poor year for her. We all know enough about her tremendous talent such that she would return to her winning ways given a bit of time. Surprising though she chose the clay to achieve her greatest result in a GS. Surely a measure of her talent and potential. Now we know she is back. Well done Hannah. Love the grass!
I like to get a feel for young players' talent when at their best and then expect drops for periods or fluctuations at least, often largely because of things going on in their lives that we have no idea about.
The biggie about Hannah always was that she had indeed shown that talent. Same with Mika, whose form of late has also been commented on.
A big well done to Hannah Klugman with this achievement. I wish more British girls would spend the time to get the experience on this surface. Probably a much tougher achievement to get to the final of Roland Garros juniors than even winning a junior slam on the other surfaces. Again well done Hannah..