Looks like Emily's off for some Californian sun to start her 2009 campaign!
Qualifying takes place 1st and 2nd Feb, the main draw starts Tuesday 3rd Feb.

Main Draw entries on the entry list published today include GB #2 Mel South world ranked 110 at position number 1 and GB #4 Katie O'Brien ranked 160 at position number 10; the MD is 18 long to allow for Wild Cards and Qualifiers; number 18 on the list is ranked 186. Fellow Brit Georgie Stoop is at position 6 on the qualie list.

Emily's December rise up the rankings has brought its first dividend here; the 56 strong list for the qualifiers finishes at 362 so at 352 Em knows right away that she's definitely getting a game!

There will almost certainly be plenty of withdrawals between now and sign-in time, of course, and with a bit of luck Em may be amongst the qualie seedings eventually. Fingers crossed!

Emily's up to #50 on the qualie list already. With 22 above her on the lists having this tournament as not their first priority you could almost mentally say she's at #28. Only 20 more withdrawals over and above that and she'll be in the top 8 qualie seeds!

Emily up to #36 on the qualies list today and another rash of withdrawals can be expected by tomorrow's deadline!

Yup, 20 withdrawals have taken Em up to #16 on the qualies list. I'll get back to you on whether they have 8 or 16 seeds in a 64 strong qualie field! Hope it's 16!

Mel has withdrawn (she'll be on Fed Cup duty) as has Katie (she'll be playing the Sutton 25K) but Georgie is still in the list (MD #10).

Withdrawals after the deadline are not uncommon, by the way, for a variety of reasons; some the authorities are OK with such as injury or illness or still playing in the later stages of last week's tournament when sign-in time comes around; if there is no good reason, however, a fine is incurred.

It seems there will be 16 qualie seeds so, YAY, Emily gets a seeding!

Posted By vohor on 22 Jan 2009 03:41 PM
It seems there will be 16 qualie seeds so, YAY, Emily gets a seeding!

My YAY may be premature, I realise, as it is possible that rankings changes and, indeed, any wild cards into the qualie comp may bump Em out of the top 16; she's actually at #15 today and so all being well she will get that seeding.

Emily has moved up one more spot on the entry list to #14 in the qualies; but a dose of flu has put her participation in the balance . Hope you're feeling 100% again soon, Em !

Posted By vohor on 25 Jan 2009 08:15 PM
Emily has moved up one more spot on the entry list to #14 in the qualies; but a dose of flu has put her participation in the balance . Hope you're feeling 100% again soon, Em !

Discretion being the better part of valour, Emily has today withdrawn from this tournament and will be making her 2009 debut one week later in a chillier location but bigger tournament!

The original to this topic can now be relegated to a with Georgie, seeded 8th, going out in the first round overnight with a result which smacks suspiciously of an injury 6-3 1-6 0-6. Hope I'm wrong on the injury front!