[chingching]

Originally Posted by louloubelle

Actually Sacha would have a better chance on clay against Panova who hits a hard ball and serve. Credit to Sacha to keep qualifying at these MM.

Yes, give her the US Wildcard, but I expect it to go to Ash.

It annoys me that Ash gets every WC when IMO only Wimbledon and Aus Open were justified.

[TS]

Just checked, and Casey is 5 out of the MD.

She'll get it if she needs it. I think TA have probably assured her of it, otherwise I'm sure she would've gone to Stanford or a clay MM to try to snare last minute points..

[chingching]

Originally Posted by TS

Just checked, and Casey is 5 out of the MD.

She'll get it if she needs it. I think TA have probably assured her of it, otherwise I'm sure she would've gone to Stanford or a clay MM to try to snare last minute points..

She could have played 50K Donetsk last week. Hard and an easy draw
I would be the best tennis agent

[kittyking]

If Sacha cannot win Baku... well to put it in perspective I think Ellen Barry even with her wrist problems would have won it. There is not decent players in the draw. The only ones in the top 100 that are there (there isn't many) are ones who are unlikely to ever get into the top 50.

[Invisible Fan]

Sacha is still going in the doubles

[Sam21]

Sacha's sitting at a new career high ranking this week of 150 a nice reward for the solid season she's had so far

[dok-stos]

And then she gets an injury
Will she be back soon???

[Chris93]

I didn't realize she was so high good year for her.

[ozfan44]

Originally Posted by dok-stos

And then she gets an injury
Will she be back soon???

She is due to be back for Bendigo Traralgon and then AO WC Playoffs.

[Tennisfan06]

Sacha started her season with a 62 64 win over Stephanie Bengson in Hobart MM qualies. Plays against Bratchikova next.

[Mana]

Lost to Nina after being in control.

Makes her slam debut next week. Australian alliance change justified I guess.

[Invisible Fan]

I should be watching unless she is on one of the main 2 courts. I saw her play a challenger about 8 years ago so I've kept an eye on her results since then.

[Invisible Fan]

A good article on Sacha becoming Australian.




Jones out of comfort zone
Date January 15, 2013 Linda Pearce Sports writer for The Age


YOU can quiz Sacha Jones about how Australian she feels, or the reception she thinks she might receive if she returns to contest the WTA event in her former home town of Auckland, but not on the delicate subject of who the nation's latest tennis recruit supports in trans-Tasman sporting contests. The Wallabies or All Blacks? Diamonds or Silver Ferns?

''You can't ask me that question,'' Jones said with a resigned smile. Earlier, she had admitted: ''I feel sort-of torn in the middle sometimes.''

The 22-year-old officially switched nationalities 12 months ago, an Australian father providing access to a passport, and the vastly better-resourced Tennis Australia offering coaching and training assistance, as well as access to wildcards, New Zealand could not match. Across the ditch, it was reported at the time as ''her decision to turn her back on her country'', and ''a huge surprise and shock''. Indeed, it took some courage for Jones to play her first tournament as an Australian, last January, as a wildcard recipient in New Zealand.

''It was a bit uncomfortable, but I really wanted to play, my friends and family don't often get to see me play, and yeah, it was a bit strange, and I felt a bit awkward, but I was really well received, and I think most people can understand that people are chopping and changing between New Zealand and Australia all the time,'' Jones said. ''I'm not an enigma.''

On Monday, at Melbourne Park, she made her grand slam debut. She had missed three months with a wrist tendon injury so serious there was some doubt she would play tennis again. She has, but while now playing without pain, she also played without success, the grateful wildcard entry beaten 6-3, 6-2 by tall Czech Kristyna Pliskova out on court seven to become the Open's first local loser of 2013.

There were the obligatory green-and-gold wigs in the stands, and a few calls from a flag-clad supporter in the crowd to ''come on Jonesy''. But if she still has to remind herself at times that she is Australian now, and she knows her Kiwi twang is an obvious clue that she came from elsewhere, then the crowd support was also polite but restrained.

The oi, oi oi business does take some getting used to. ''Yeah, it is a bit weird actually,'' said the Melbourne-based baseliner, whose brother ''GD'' Jones coaches South Africa's Kevin Anderson, a Sydney International finalist last week.

''But I spent so much time in Australia growing up, and my brother, sister, dad, they're all Australian, so it's a bit weird, yes, but it's nice as well.''

In New Zealand, she was the No. 2 behind Marina Erakovic when she left. In Australia, the world No. 183 is ranked seventh nationally behind standout Sam Stosur.

[soccerchicknz]

Thanks for providing the article, it's a good piece. I hope she does well playing for Australia - not an easy decision for her to make at the time.

[Daniel.]

I was in the stands for her match against Pliskova. The crowd was very ordinary, seemed like just me and the bloke next to me shouting out encouragement to her. No green & gold clothed fanatics, no chanting, no war crys- just normal clapping.
Contrast to the last 2 years i've been to the open when the tournament has started with a great buzz with the Casey/Jovanovski match last year and Sophie/Martic the year before.
I hope Sacha and the Australian fans settle in with each other for next year.