Go back, read again about Billy's month, consider where he has come from to now have such a month, and think, well if I wasn't sure before, too right, this has been Billy's month.
Wow, that is some finalists list! Everyone on there would be the standout (or maybe one of two standouts) on any previous month.
I've voted for Billy. Jack and Katie have delivered on what we already knew they were capable of. Jake and Millie have made a really great start to their post-college careers, perhaps faster than expected but not out of line with what they did at college. I hesitated over Paul, but from reading the comments, he's had a cracking month but he's also delivered on what we know he's capable of when injury free (and long may that continue!)
But Billy? Billy smashed it! Someone said earlier in the month that every time they thought he had a ceiling, he punched through it. I think he's far exceeded everyone's expectations (even Bob's!) and the fact we were talking about him maybe making it into the top 100 this month and a bit disappointed he didn't quite do it really speaks for itself.
What a month! When a player who came through Wimbledon qualifying didn't even get to the final of this vote!
All very deserving of the title.
For reasons that others have already outlined, my vote is for Billy.
16. Katie Boulter - for winning Nottingham for the second consecutive year, coming from a set down 3 times to beat Dart, Raducanu and Pliscova ( 5 sets on finals day ), enhancing her position as British #1 and almost certainly earning a Wimbledon seeding in the process. First British woman to defend a WTA title since Virginia Wade ( Bournemouth 1973-4 ), following up with a quarterfinal in Eastbourne.
13. Jack Draper - for winning his first ever ATP title winning the ATP250 in Stuttgart, taking out his career high ranking in the process, becoming GB Nš1 and hopefully getting himself seeded at Wimbledon. Followed up with reaching the last 8 at Queens including a stunning win over Carlos Alcaraz for a career best win in the last 16.
14. Jake Fearnley - for winning the Nottingham Challenger 125 as a qualifier. In the process, he beat Jubb, Shang (WR 96) and Charlie Broom, and reached 7 wins in the first two events of the grass season, the most wins of any man or woman from GB (and possibly internationally). Rises to GB number 12 and a WR of 274, a new CH by a country mile, having started the week at WR 525. His full sequence of wins was against one top 100 player, two top 200 players and 4 top 300 players. Oh, and let's not forget that, for the coin toss before his match with Jubb, he had to comfort the little girl scared by the LTA's mascot!
10. Billy Harris - for reaching semifinals in consecutive weeks in the two UK based grass court challengers - wins included WR 96 Shang and WR 135 Kukushkin (twice). Topped this by reaching the last 8 at Queens 500 for his best ever week, including beating Etcheverry WR 32 for his best win in terms of rankings and then Perricard WR 67. Followed up that best ever week with another best ever week for an ATP tour as he reaches the semis of Eastbourne 250, beating Cabolli WR 49 in the QF,. All has combined to take him to an end of month CH 116, having ended last month at WR 201. Been a month of topping the past week and still going! Oh, and maybe unsurprisingly, he has the most wins by a Brit on grass this season.
21. Paul Jubb for reaching the semifinals of the ATP250 in Mallorca, beating number 1 seed and WR 14 Ben Shelton to get there, for a first ATP semi and a career best week, having got through qualies to get there. Will move back into the top 200 as a result.
12. Amelia Rajecki - Ranked 794, smashing her career high win (436 at Surbiton and 627 prior to this month) by beating two top 80 players (WR72 and 77 - the 6th and 9th qualifying seeds) in Birmingham as a qualifying wild card to qualify for her first WTA tour level main draw; followed up by qualifying for Wimbledon qualies through the wildcard playoffs
Phenomenal month from Billy and I can see why so many are voting for him. But a straight sets win over the defending Wimbledon champion and arguably the best player in the world, backed up with huge wins over Tiafoe, Berettini and Giron mean it has to be Jack for me.
-- Edited by Dannythomas on Monday 1st of July 2024 09:04:18 AM
Phenomenol month from Billy and I can see why so many are voting for him. But a straight sets win over the defending Wimbledon champion and arguably the best player in the world, backed up with huge wins over Tiafoe, Berettini and Giron mean it has to be Jack for me.
Its possible recency bias comes in as well, big achievements in the last week often sway people, me included. Stuttgart was relatively early in the month and easy to forget! Jack in Stuttgart and at Queens, Katie at Nottingham, Jake at Nottingham, and Millie at Birmingham certainly had some great events!
I wont do many updates this time as not around much of the day. Probably a few here and there but Ill let it run without many prompts this time - hurrah I hear you all say!