US OPEN: JAMIE BAKER DOWNS 16th SEED IN Q1 (25.08.10)

Excellent start for GB #3 Jamie Baker in the first round of qualifying at Flushing Meadow taking down 16th qseed Joao Souza (BRA) ranked 135 by the impressive margin of 6-3 6-2; Marc Gicquel (FRA), a top 40 player just 2 years ago, in Q2. Sadly, the only other Brit in action today owing to continuing rain delays was Heather Watson who was edged out of her Q1 after taking the first set. 3 Brit Q1s still to go. WAY TO GO, JAMIE!

US OPEN: SUPERB WINS FOR LAURA ROBSON, KATIE O'BRIEN (26.08.10)

16 year old Laura Robson today produced maybe her best yet senior result by scalping 2nd qseed Jelena Dokic (AUS) 6-1 6-4 in her rain delayed first round of qualifying for this year's US Open and will hopefully now get to the Main Draw having fallen in the final round of qualifying last year. Excellently, GB #2 Katie O'Brien won her Q2 against Doi (JPN) 7-6 6-1 having rediscovered her best serving form. Sadly, the other Brits in qualifying have all now gone down. See the US Open thread on the public forum for more. GO, LAURA & KATIE!

US OPEN: ANOTHER GREAT WIN FOR LAURA ROBSON (27.08.10)

Katie O'Brien fell at the final qualifying hurdle today but, superbly, GB #6 Laura Robson won in straight sets again in Q2 to set up a Q3 against the 17th seed Vives (ESP) to hopefully join Brits Andy Murray, Elena Baltacha and Anne Keothavong in the Flushing Meadow singles Main Draws. See the US Open thread on the public forum. GO, LAURA!

US OPEN: IT'S MURRAY, BALTACHA, KEOTHAVONG IN THE MD (28.08.10)

With Laura Robson, like Katie O'Brien, going down in Q3 the British contingent in the singles Main Draws of this year's US Open is Andy Murray, Elena Baltacha and Anne Keothavong, the Direct Acceptances. All 3 have very winnable R1s with Andy Murray seeded to reach the semis...and in the light of the Toronto ATP1000 a fortnight ago a first Grand Slam title maybe awaits? See the US Open thread on the public forum for details. GO, ANDY! GO, BALLY & ANNIE!

US OPEN: ELENA BALTACHA ON FIRE IN FIRST ROUND! (30.08.10)

GB #1 Elena Baltacha stormed through the first round in Flushing Meadows today against Petra Martic (CRO), ranked 88, 6-2 6-2 in just 65 minutes. Already, a new Career High ranking beckons in two weeks' time: even more so if she can down 27th seed Petra Kvitova (CZE) in R2. SUPERB, BALLY!

US OPEN: ANDY MURRAY EASES THROUGH R1 (01.09.10)

GB #1 and world #4 Andy Murray was suitably efficient in his first round at the US Open in New York today beating Lukas Lacko (SVK) 6-3 6-2 6-2 in under 2 hours with Dustin Brown (JAM) ranked 113 next up in R2. GOOD WORK, ANDY!

US OPEN: ELENA BALTACHA GOES DOWN FIGHTING (02.09.10)

GB #1 Elena Baltacha, ranked 57, last night in R2 put up a great fight against this year's Wimbledon semi-finalist Petra Kvitova (CZE), seeded 27 at Flushing Meadows. The first set went to a tie-break which Kvitova edged 7-5 and Bally went down 3-6 in the second. Top 50 stuff from Bally, then, and the next rankings list may well confirm it! GREAT EFFORT, BALLY!

US OPEN: ANDY MURRAY WINS R2 IN A HURRY (03.09.10)

GB #1 Andy Murray wasted no time getting past Dustin Brown (JAM) in R2 at Flushing Meadows today. 7-5 6-3 6-0 in just 85 minutes. Impressive! GOOD WORK AGAIN, ANDY!

SANTANDER: JAMES WARD LIFTS TITLE (05.09.10)

GB #4 James Ward missed the cut for US Open qualifying by the proverbial whisker but has consoled himself by popping in at the $15k ITF in Santander, Spain to justify his top seeding without dropping a set. He outranked his second seeded final opponent by only 2 but was a convincing 7-5 6-4 winner. EXCELLENT, JAMES!

US OPEN: IT'S OVER TO THE JUNIORS (06.09.10)

Andy Murray's quest for a first grand slam title will have to wait until next year, having gone down in R3 to 25th seed Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) in 4 sets. Hopes for a British title winner now rest in the junior events. There's no reigning champion Heather Watson this year but Laura Robson, Oliver Golding and George Morgan are all through to R2 already. See the US Open thread on the public forum. GO, YOU YOUNG BRITS!

SEVILLA: JAMES WARD DOWNS 3rd SEED IN R1 (07.09.10)

GB #4 James Ward has continued his Spanish adventure superbly by following up his $15k ITF title win on Sunday with today beating the world #125 in his first round of this week's E42.5k+H ATP Challenger on the red clay in Sevilla. The 8 ranking points earnt will promote him to GB #3 on Monday. James downed Santiago Ventura (ESP) 7-6(6) 6-1. GREAT STUFF, JAMES!

SEVILLA: JAMES WARD MARCHING INTO WORLD TOP 250 (08.09.10)

GB's James Ward today continued his march deeper into the E42.5k+H ATP Challenger in Sevilla, Spain and, consequently, his journey back towards his Career High ranking and, all being well, beyond! Another 9 ranking points for his R2 win, for the loss of only 3 games, today will see him inside the world top 250 on Monday. CH 187 hoving into view! Next up Nikola Ciric (SRB). GO, JAMES!

MADRID: BRITISH TITLE-WINNER GUARANTEED! (09.09.10)

All four Brits who started in the $10k womens ITF in Madrid remain in with a shout of one title with two still having two shouts! Naomi Broady and Emily Webley-Smith are through to the singles QFs and doubles SFs whilst Nicola George is in the doubles SFs and Jen Ren is through to the doubles final. See the Madrid thread on the public forum for details. GOOD LUCK, EVERYONE!

CAIRNS: MEL SOUTH DOWNS 4th SEED IN QFs (10.09.10)

Australia was a happy hunting ground for GB's Mel South in 2008 and, with US Open 2009 points about to drop off, it's great that the former world #99 is putting together a good run at the $25k womens ITF in Cairns this week. Today, seeded 5, Mel saw off 4th seed and world #222 Olivia Rogowska 6-4 3-6 6-3 to make it through to the SFs where she'll face Noppawan Lertcheewakarn (THA) seeded 7. KEEP GOING, MEL!

USO JUNIORS: OLIVER GOLDING IN DOUBLES FINAL (11.09.10)

Oliver Golding, GB #1 Boy, and his Czech partner, Jiri Vesely, had a successful battle royal in the Boys' Doubles last night at Flushing Meadows and are now just one match away from following up their Gold Medal in Singapore together with a Slam title; which would make for a decent fortnight's work! See the US Open thread on the publci forum for more. LIFT THE TITLE, OLLY!

LONDON CUMBERLAND: DAN COX LIFTS ANOTHER TITLE! (12.09.10)

It's been a very fruitful couple of months for 19 year old Dan Cox. He'll be sitting on a new Career High ranking on Monday week having today overturned the rankings to beat top seed and fellow Brit Dan Evans 6-1 6-1 in the final of the London Cumberland $10k ITF to pick up his 3rd title of the year. He'll drop a slot in the GB pecking order tomorrow, though, with David Rice leapfrogging 3 when the points from his excellent fortnight in Mexico, one $10k title and one $10k RU spot, go on tomorrow for a new CH of his own. GREAT WORK, YOU GUYS!

MENS RANKINGS: JAMES WARD TO GB #3; DAVID RICE #9 (13.09.10)

21 year old David Rice jumps +68 to a new Career High singles ranking of world #423 today and leaps from GB #12 to GB #9; 23 year old James Ward rises +28 today to be world #241 and slip past Jamie Baker to be the new GB #3. EXCELLENT, GUYS!

WOMENS RANKINGS: ELENA BALTACHA INTO WORLD TOP 50 (14.09.10)

One day late owing to rain delays at Flushing Meadows, but official confirmation today that GB #1 Elena Baltacha is +8 in this week's singles rankings to a new Career High, and inside the world top 50 for the first time, at world #49. It's been a magnificent year (just under) since Bally broke into the top 100 for the first time. CONGRATULATIONS, BALLY!

BANGKOK: JAMES WARD CONTINUES TO RUMBLE! (15.09.10)

It's been an excellent run of from for new GB #3 James Ward these past 3 months and he's continuing in similar vein this week at the $35k+H ATP Challenger in Bangkok, Thailand. Through to the QFs after beating top seed Michael Russell (USA) ranked 80 in R1 and another American today in R2, he just needs to beat Sebastian Rieschick (GER) tomorrow to sneak past Alex Bogdanovic to become GB #2 and to really start to smell his return to the world top 200. KEEP GOING, JAMES!

DARWIN: NAOMI CAVADAY & MEL SOUTH INTO QFs (16.09.10)

Excellent that there are two Brits through to the QFs of the $25k womens ITF in Darwin, Australia to follow up last week's encouragement Down Under when Mel reached the Cairns $25k semis. Next up for GB #5 Naomi, seeded 3, is 7th seeded Okadaue of Japan whilst in the other half of the draw GB #9 Mel, seeded 5, faces 4th seeded Rogowska (AUS). All-Brit final possible, then! GO, NAOMI & MEL!