[Jessica02]

I love tennis and I love the big names on the tour, but i often think we neglect the tour players that are alot more consistent and committed to the tour than alot of the big names.

I would like to give a special mention to:

Tatiana Panova
Meilun Tu
Elena Likhotseva
Nicole Pratt
Jana Kandar
Cara Black

Who are your favorite players ranked outside the top 30?

 

[rightous]

Anna Smashnova
Maria Antonio Sanchez Lorenzo
Kelly Liggan
Nathalie Dechy

I like so many this is just a few

 

[apoet29]

Excellent thread! Without these ladies, there would be no tour!

I would just like to add my favorite Ai Sugiyama!

 

[Volcana]

A.STEVENSON - For coming back to her highest ever ranking after some truly down times.

I.MAJOLI - For hanging in while trying to regain the form that made her a top ten player.

C.RUBIN - INjuries, injuries, injuries. What might have been ....

E.DANIILIDOU - OZ was one to build on.

 

[gmt]

4 of my top 5 favourite players are outside the top30
Two of them have been in the top20 for a short time, and hopefully will return there : Nathalie Dechy and Silvija Talaja.
The other two are Kuti Kis Rita and Jelena Kostanic.

Between 30 and 200, I also like particularly

Tatiana PanovaSugiyama Ai
Elena Likhovsteva
Conchita Martinez
Patty Schnyder
Paola Suarez (no idea of her personality, but a great forehand )
Meilen Tu
Mandula Petra
Chanda Rubin
Eleni Daniilidou
Marta Marrero
Janette Husarova
Barbara Schwartz
Maja Matevzic
Cara Black
Tathiana Garbin
Selima Sfar
Céline Beigbeder
Jana Nejedly
Wynne Prakusya

maybe Marlene Weingärtner, Lilia Osterloh, Emmanuelle Gagliardi, Eva Bes, and a few others as well...

 

[marshmellow]

anna kournikova

 

[saki]

Most of my non top 30 faves have already been mentioned.

Except for KRISTIE BOOGERT!

 

[louloubelle]

Nicole Pratt - wallowed in the 150-200's for over 5 years. Despite it being rumored that she didn't get along with outgoing Fed Cup captain Lesley Bowrey, she redirected Nicole by pointed out for such a small player, she wasn't fit or quick enough. Qualifying for a Wimbledon and US Open kick started a now consisitent and rewarding career 4 years on based on better fitness and speed.

 

[thefreedesigner]

Anne Kremer!!!

Very good on grasscourts, not too shabby on hard. She's a good player with some fantastic wins.

If competition were any slacker (and if she was just a tad more consistent) she'd be Top 20 definitely.

 

[irma]

Mirjana Lucic, I realy hope she finds her form back of wimbledon 99.

 

[carot]

Alex Stevenson
Olga Barabanschikova
Chanda Rubin
Marta Marrero
Petra Mandula
...
and...Anna

 

[Bероника]

CONCHITA MARTINEZ
Patty Schnyder
Francesca Schiavone
Eleni Danilidou
Chanda Rubin
Anabel Medina
Meilen Tu
Alexandra Stevenson
NATHALIE DECHY
IVA MAJOLI
BARBARA SCHWARTZ
VIRGINIE RAZZANO
ANIKO KAPROS
STEPHANIE FORETZ
DALLY RANDRIANTEFY
ANGELIQUE WIDJAJA
MIRJANA LUCIC

 

[thefreedesigner]

Just realised Anne is #30.

Let's give some respect then to Marissa Irvin.

Totally overshadowed cause of the dominance of the higher ranked Americans.

She has some power, not too much accuracy or consistency at the moment, but I always keep one eye on what sort of results she's getting in the hope she might get that 'big win'.

 

[MLF]

I think special credit must be given to the players who have played for many, many seasons without many big wins or perhaps just one highlight season but have kept going to sustain the tour. I'm thinking mainly of players such as Barbara Rittner, Karina Habsudova, Maria-Alejandra Vento and Anna-Maria Foldenyi who have supported the tour out of sheer love of playing.

 

[matthias]

Bianka Lamade
Martina Müller
Madita Suer
Anna-Lena Grönefeld
Anca Barna
Greta Arn

 

[Halardfan]

There are lots of quality players a bit further down the rankings, many with fans just as loyal as supporters of the big name players.

They deserve credit.

 

[Brian Stewart]

I don't really have any names to add at the moment. (They've been covered.) Just wanted to throw in my support for this thread. Terrific idea, Jessica02!

Without those outside the top 30, here wouldn't be a tour. You might have a dozen tournaments. It's the quality of these rank-and-file players that forces players to be even better to enter the top 30, which in turn forces those wanting to enter the top 20 to be better than that, etc. That's why the top players are so consistent; they have to be.

 

[Mateo Mathieu]

Rachel McQuillan
Alexandra Stevenson

 

[Jakeev]

Wow, what a cool, positive thread.

And everybody is right, without all the ladies that were mentioned and not, the women's tour would not be what it is.

 

[Monica_Rules]

Patty Schnyder
Iva Majoli
Elena Bovina
Anne Keothavong
Elena Balatcha
Hannah Collin