No post-Wimbledon grass ITFs for the women this year

However, this hardcourt $25k could very well produce a home title so it's worthy of a

Maybe Katie O'Brien, in need of a boost after a disappointing year to date, who's 2nd on the Main Draw entry list; or Naomi Cavady, 4th; or Laura Robson, 10th, Anna Smith 11th or Lisa Whybourn 16th.

Or one of the MD wild cards: Joss Rae, Jade Windley, resurgent Tara Moore or fresh out of the junior ranks Lucy Brown

Or maybe Emily Webley-Smith, top of the qualies list, also in need of a boost. Go, Emily

Qualies start tomorrow...

Late withdrawals mean promotion to the Main Draw for our Emily and also Anna Fitzpatrick who gets Joss Rae's freed-up wild card

Glad I saluted that magpie this morning

Good luck to all Brits in the qualies; the seeded Brits are Mandy Elliott (6), Jess Ren (7) and Steph Cornish (8).

Emily v Lisa in R1

Lisa is GB #11 and Emily GB #12 currently; would've wanted both to progress but can't be helped; good luck Emily

Jess Ren, not 16 until next month, made it through qualifying as did 19 year old Hannah James.

R1, as well as Emily v Lisa, has Tara Moore v Laine (FIN), Jess v Ruutel (EST), Jade W v 5th seed Naomi C, 3rd seed Katie v Ishizu (JPN), Lucy v Georgatou (GRE), Anna S v Anna F, Joss v Starr (AUS), Hannah v 4th seed Barthel (GER) and 7th seed Laura v Patterson (AUS).

Good luck all Brits

Good luck, too, to Emily W-S teaming up again with Olivia Rogowska (AUS) for the dubs; seeded 4 here and maybe repeating their Mount Gambier title run...

4 Brit winners so far; more to come!

A rain interrupted day meant Lisa v Em didn't get on court

Two Brit v Brit R1s were resolved however: 5th seed Naomi C prevailed, but not without stern resistance, against Jade W (7-6 6-4) to face in R2 the winner of the unfinished Jess v Ruutel match which halted midway through the final set; and the battle of the two Annas went comfortably in favour of Smith rather than Fitzpatrick (6-2 6-1) with 6th seeded French opposition next up. Go, Naomi, Jess & Anna

Two Brit winners against foreign opposition yesterday: Laura Robson making short work of an Aussie (1&0) ; and 3rd seed Katie having to work overtime to extricate herself from the brink, 2-6 6-4 7-6(3), against Sachie Ishuzu (JPN) who was this year's junior Wimbledon runner-up (having eliminated Laura in the SF) ; Greek opposition for Katie next.

Defeat in R1 yesterday for Tara, Lucy and Hannah

Joss, like Jess, still standing overnight; started but unfinished...

Home title still on!

The tournament is shaping up nicely with three Brits still standing at the QF stage and an all-Brit final still very much a possibility!

Sadly, our Emily was edged out for the umpteenth time this year in a close thriller ; she went down to Lisa in the third set tiebreaker...

Lisa had to play another singles today as the bad weather delays were retrieved by the organisers; not the best preparation for an encounter with 7th seed and GB #5 Laura Robson. Laura won their R2 6-2 6-1 and now faces Timea Babos of Hungary, currently world #3 junior, who put out the second seed today 6-4 6-4. Go, Laura

In the top half of the draw, Ruutel took down both Jess and Naomi today but both GB #2 and 3rd seed Katie O'Brien, against Georgatou (GRE), and unseeded GB #8 Anna Smith, against 6th seed Pavlovic of France ranked 217, battled through R2 in three sets ; and now face each other...

No all-Brit final then

Laura went down in 3 to Babos; Katie edged out Anna in two tiebreak sets. 3rd best points return of the year to date for Katie; 27 against 100 from the Aussie Open and 30 from Fez; hopefully the start of her return towards the top 100, her CH #84 and beyond!

Emma Laine of Finland next for Katie for a place in the final. Go, Katie

Joss Rae sole home representative in the dubs SFs. Go, Joss

Two Brit finalists though!

Disappointing that it's not Katie v Laura in the singles final, maybe, but great that Katie has made her first final of the year

She overcame Emma Laine of Finland who has been top 50 and had been on a roll here; being Katie it was 3 sets, of course, but with slightly more to spare than usual! 6-1 3-6 6-3 ; well done Katie

The final is against 17 year old Timea Babos of Hungary who accounted for Laura in the QFs and is currently world #3 junior. Go, Katie

In the dubs, Joss Rae and Emelyn Starr (AUS) won their SF 6-3 4-6 10-3 to face Babos and Laine for the title. Go, Joss

Near and yet so far

Runners-up slots for both Katie and Joss...

Katie went down 5-7 4-6 to Timea Babos in the singles final but still picks up a healthy 34 ranking points

Babos clearly on her game this week lifting the dubs too, in concert with Emma Laine, 6-2 6-2 against Joss and Emelyn

Hey ho; take the positives and move on!