Week 43 - Futures F1 (10k) - Cape Town, South Africa

Drew · Oct 20, 2007

Week 43 - Futures F1 (10k) - Cape Town, South Africa

Salmon · Tennis legend

Has our special correspondent reached Africa?

We have events in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Rwanda, Uganda, Sudan and Nigeria in the next nine weeks.

This is a golden opportunity for Ed to crack the top 500. The players other than the top four seeds will be mostly ranked outside the top 700 and he defends just 1 point till the end of the year.

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

Wow, hope Ed can make the most of it then. How far away from the top 500 is he at the moment? (in terms of ranking and points)

Salmon · Tennis legend

He's ranked 610 now and needs 24 more points. That's four 10K semis... Let's just hope we'll see the Ed we saw earlier this year in Europe.

It'll be great if he gets there. I think that it has been a while since a Brit cracked the top 500 for the first time in his life. Wasn't Colin Fleming the last person to do it?

johnnylad · Tennis legend

Feaver and Hamar make the final qualies round. They face the 7th and 5th seeds respectively...

Drew · Oct 20, 2007

QR2

FEAVER, James (GBR) def WIESE, Christo (ESP) 6-1 6-2

HAMAR, Andrew (GBR) def SMIT, Warno (RSA) 6-2 6-1

QR3

FEAVER, James (GBR) v WEIDEMAN, Rohan (RSA) 7

HAMAR, Andrew (GBR) v MATSCHKE, Jochen (GER) 5

2 good performances required in order to make the MD !!!

Salmon · Tennis legend

Andrew HAMAR (GBR) defeated Jochen MATSCHKE (GER) (5) 6-0 6-1

James FEAVER (GBR) defeated Rohan WEIDEMAN (RSA) (7) 6-4 6-4

Matteo VOLANTE (ITA) (1) Vs Damian HUME (RSA)
Ciaran MOORE (RSA) Vs Jarryd BOTHA (RSA)
Benjamin JANSE VAN RENSBURG (RSA) Vs Andrew HAMAR (GBR)
Nikala SCHOLTZ (RSA) Vs Claudio GRASSI (ITA) (6)
Raven KLAASEN (RSA) (3) Vs Ruan ROELOFSE (RSA)
James FEAVER (GBR) Vs Alexander SOMOGYI (SVK)
Jurgens STRYDOM (NAM) Vs Saar STEELE (ISR)
Heinrich HEYL (RSA) Vs Candy IDOKO (NGR) (8)
Idan MARK (ISR) (5) Vs Tomer HODOROV (ISR)
Kevin MCDUFFEE (USA) Vs Harrison KEYSER (AUS)
Danila ARSENOV (RUS) Vs Henrik SODERBERG (SWE)
Lofo RAMIARAMANAN (MAD) Vs Paul WARKENTIN (USA) (4)
Bertram STEINBERGER (AUT) (7) Vs Andrea ALOISI (ITA)
Alexei FILENKOV (RUS) Vs Damiano DI IENNO (ITA)
Milos SEKULIC (SWE) Vs Jean ANDERSEN (RSA)
Richard RUCKELSHAUSEN (AUT) Vs Edward SEATOR (GBR) (2)

This Hamar is pretty good. Used to play for Wake Forest University and had a point back in 2003 when he played a few Futures in the US. He has a good chance in his match, I think.

Akhenaten · Pro player

Arka wrote:

Has our special correspondent reached Africa? We have events in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Rwanda, Uganda, Sudan and Nigeria in the next nine weeks.

It's certainly an exciting time of the year. aww I'm going to try to get down to Namibia for next week.

deacrt · Junior player

Hamar just finished playing at Wake Forest in May. On his day, can play very high level tennis (was up a break in the 3rd set against John Isner at the NCAA National Indoors). Lets hope he can get himself some points. At Wake Forest, he played one spot ahead of American Brett Ross, who has got his ranking into the 700's. Hopefully Andrew can get his ranking up there.

johnnylad · Tennis legend

woohoo! A new prospect!

staggering qualifying performance!

I'd actually say that Seator has the hardest draw of the three of them!

Great chance for Feaver too. He's plugged away and away! Hope he lands at least a point this time!

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

Nice to see a new name.

Good luck to all three in the first round.

Drew · Oct 23, 2007

Dubs R1

GRASSI (ITA) / VOLANTE (ITA) 1 v FEAVER (GBR) / KEYSER (AUS)

MARK (ISR) / STEELE (ISR) 3 v KLAASEN (RSA) / SEATOR (GBR)

Both Brits draw seeds in the 1st round...the Brits could meet in the QFs...no a chance really !!

Drew · Oct 23, 2007

Andrew Hammar has played well so far. His QR2 victory was against a young unranked player perhaps playing in his first ever event....his QR3 victim was high as 897 and has a career win loss in futures, challengers etc of 2/39 so not exactly a Boris Becker !!

His First round opponent is up in class...he is ranked 1185...but has not played since January where he lost 1 & 1 to Sarstrand. So he may be slightly better than the others but a good draw for Hammar.

Hope he 'Hammars' him !!! (Sorry couldnt resist !)

john · Top national player

Jochen Matschke, Hamar's opponent from QR3 highlights exactly what was wrong with the ranking system and why it needed changing. He hit that career high of 897 in August 2004. He did so by winning just one main draw match all year in a Futures event, and receiving 8, yes EIGHT, challenger main draw wildcards, getting hammered first round every time.

Thank god we got rid of first round loser points in challengers. He now sits with just the one ranking point which will come off shortly when he defends his first round loss in a Mexico challenger.

Salmon · Tennis legend

I agree.

I feel another change should be made to the ranking system - awarding the qualifiers at Futures with something, especially at the 15Ks.