Italy F4 - Siracusa - 2007.

Salmon · Tennis legend

Italy F4 - Siracusa - 2007.

GC77 · County player

Another terrible draw for Morgan here.

He plays number 1 seed Pablo Andujar-Alba (WR208) in round 1

johnnylad · Tennis legend

Still its the type of tester he needs! Last time he played a top seed he won!

Could be a short week for the main man of British Clay tennis! (minus Andy M of course)

Salmon · Tennis legend

This guy has to be the unluckiest British player along with Cox, right?

They keep drawing seeds whenever you see them.

Still, this will be a good test for him. If he can beat Vidal 1 and 1, I'm sure that he can beat Andujar.

Sheddie · administrator

That is one horrid draw !

I agree totally Arks, just how unlucky is Morgan ! He never seems to fail to draw one of the top 8 seeds in rd1 !

I don't think he's beaten anyone ranked quite this high before ! He's beaten players in the low 300s in the past and gave a guy ranked in the 290s a really tough 3 setter last May.

Andujar-Alba would surely not be playing this tourney if there were any European challengers this week

He has a career high of 193, is just 20 and is one of several rising Spaniards. By his standards he hasn't had a great start to 2007 but he did qualify for an ATP in Brazil before losing 6-2, 7-6(6) to world no 66 Albert Montanes. He had a massive ranking rise in 2006, going from 10Ks at the start of the year to winning challengers. He made two 10K finals and then won two challengers in the summer.

Arka, which academy does Morgan train at ? I think that Andujar-Alba is at the same one

steven · Tennis legend

In Morgan's last three tournaments outside the UK, he has faced the no, 2 seed, the no. 1 seed and the no. 8 seed in R1. In each case, he has beaten them and then lost in R2. Wonder what will happen this week ...

Salmon · Tennis legend

Morgan trains here:

http://www.tennisval.com/

And that's where Andujar is based, too.

Drew · Mar 5, 2007

What a stinker for Morgan....but hey he will win in 3 and then loose in straights to a guy ranked lower than him !!!

Just to remind us he is a Brit !

johnnylad · Tennis legend

Arka wrote:

Morgan trains here:

http://www.tennisval.com/

And that's where Andujar is based, too.

So maybe Morgan knows his weaknesses!

Sheddie · administrator

Maybe I wonder if they've hit together before.

Arka and I will try and ask him this week.

Sheddie · administrator

steven wrote:

In Morgan's last three tournaments outside the UK, he has faced the no, 2 seed, the no. 1 seed and the no. 8 seed in R1.

However, none of those guys were ranked in the top 350 so we shouldn't really expect too much from this match. Morgan will do well to get a set.

steven · Tennis legend

Morgan's done it again!!

Could this be the highest-ranked player he's ever beaten?

Just getting the details and R2 draw.

Salmon · Tennis legend

Unbelievable... This guy just can't stop surprising you.

Yeah, his highest ranked scalp yet.

-- Edited by The Panda Bear at 23:52, 2007-03-05

steven · Tennis legend

R1: Morgan Phillips WR 568 beat (1) Pablo Andujar-Alba (ESP) WR 206 by 1-6 6-4 6-0

R2: Morgan Phillips WR 568 v Marco di Vuolo (ITA) WR 616 or Phodos Kallias (CYP) WR 929

This is the fourth tournament in a row outside the UK where Morgan has had to face a seed (2, 1 and 8, now seed 1 again!) and the fourth time he has won. The previous three times he has gone out in the next round against a much less daunting opponent and only got one ranking point for his troubles. Can he go a step further this time? He has a day's rest while his potential R2 opponents play, it might help ...

-- Edited by steven at 23:53, 2007-03-05

Salmon · Tennis legend

He just bagelled a player who has played Tour tennis in the recent past.

If he can get some ranking points between now and May he'll have a good chance of doing well at the Challengers qualies and even the main draws. At this moment, his tennis is more of top 300 standard than what his ranking shows it to be.