Loughborough trip is worthwhile for tennis ace Phillips

The premier-tier event attracted eight women with a world ranking so the tournament promised to have some tough match-ups.

Because of the high standard of players in the tournament, Phillips’ 2.2 rating was insufficient to gain entry into the main draw and she was nudged into the pre-qualifying round as number-eight seed.

She first took on Yorkshire’s Amy Gatford and won 6-0, 6-1 with relative ease. Next up was number 12 seed Martina Paldini Jennings, who has caused upsets in the past against other 2.2-rated players.

Phillips took a comfortable lead of 4-0 before Jennings decided to retire and gift the match to Phillips. This ensured Phillips was through qualifying to face one of the big guns.

The luck of the draw meant that Phillips, whose fitness training is sponsored by Core Results, was the only player to face a seed in round one of the main draw as all the other seeds had a bye.

Phillips faced Middlesex’s Savannah Sills and was unable to stem the advances of her world-ranked opponent, who marched through with a 6-1, 6-3 win to dump Phillips out.

Unseasonal good weather has meant Phillips’ tennis training, which is mostly on outdoor courts, has remained uninterrupted throughout the winter. This good fortune is likely to have a positive impact on her results in the first few months of the year.

For further details of Phillips’ progress or if you would like tennis coaching, see www.lisaphillips.co.uk

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