Week 9 - Futures F5 (15k) - Harlingen TX, USA

TBarM7 · Intermediate Club Player

Week 9 - Futures F5 (15k) - Harlingen TX, USA

RobC · All-time great

RE: Harlingen, TX Futures

TBarM7 · Intermediate Club Player

very true. this is the town i was born in. unfortunately its about 9 hrs from where i live now. my dad lives about 30 min from this tourney so i might go visit him and take in the tourney. i'll keep you guys posted if i go and will give updates.

Bladetiger · Pro player

RobC wrote:

wow - that's a stronger field than many challengers!

Go on then Rob I challenge you to find a challenger event in 2008 that had a top seed ranked below #235 and a cut off in the 600's. confused

-- Edited by Bladetiger at 19:54, 2008-02-14

RobC · All-time great

Samarkand Challenger
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
August 6-12, 2007
Clay - $35,000+H

Vejmelka was 247
Couldn't tell you where the cut was, but Filippov was ranked 740

Manuel Jorquera (ITA) d. (1)Adam Vejmelka (CZE) 6-4 6-2
(q)Sergei Krotiouk (RUS) d. (WC)Arsen Asanov (UZB) 6-4 6-2
Dekel Valtzer (ISR) d. Sherif Sabry (EGY) 6-1 6-3
(6)Ivan Dodig (BIH) d. Sergei Bubka, Jr. (UKR) 6-2 6-2
Adrian Cruciat (ROU) d. (3)Denis Istomin (UZB) 6-4 3-6 7-6(5)
(WC)Vaja Uzakov (UZB) d. (LL)Mikail Karpol (CRO) 6-7(2) 1-0 ret. [Karpol replaces Johan Brunstrom]
Evgeni Kirillov (RUS) d. (WC)Rifat Biktyakov (UZB) 6-1 7-6(2)
(5)Konstantin Kravchuk (RUS) d. Vjekoslav Skenderovic (CRO) 4-6 6-0 6-4
Mikhail Kukushkin (RUS) d. (8)Woong-Sun Jun (KOR) 6-2 3-6 7-6(2)
(q)Baptiste Dupuy (FRA) d. Xavier Pujo (FRA) 6-2 6-2
(q)Marsel Ilhan (TUR) d. (q)Trystan Meniane (FRA) 6-4 4-6 6-1
Jaroslav Pospisil (CZE) d. (4)Vasilis Mazarakis (GRE) 6-0 4-6 6-2
(7)Mohamed Maamoun (EGY) d. (LL)Djanibek Orazoliev (UZB) 6-1 6-2 [Orazoliev replaces Mohammed Al Ghareeb]
Ivan Sergeev (UKR) d. (WC)Sarvar Ikramov (UZB) 4-6 6-1 7-6(1)
Murad Inoyatov (UZB) d. Maxim Filippov (KAZ) 6-0 6-1
Deniss Pavlovs (LAT) d. (2)Dacian Craciun (ROU) 6-2 6-1

RobC · All-time great

sorry - but that was a bit of an open goal

(and if you'd said a cut off at 412......)

Where the comment came from was that I'm used to Futures with a max of 4 players ranked above about 340 - which is where I keep track of players scores for the "live rankings". This one has six in the top 300, and another five higher than 340, and only ranked below 412.

steven · Tennis legend

Good find! Steveg has the cut as 553 (Sabry) but he was the no. 1 seed in qualifying and not on the original main draw. What may have confused steveg is that Sabry got pulled from qualifying and put in the main draw as an Alternate, which looks like a bit of inadvertent rule-breaking from the organisers to me! I think you're right and the cut ended up being Filippov.

The reason Samarkand was so weak is because players still have bad memories of civil war breaking out in Andijan (also in Uzbekistan) during a tournament a couple of years ago, so Uzbek events are seen as easy points, but only for the brave!

RobC · All-time great

thank - you - I was feeling rather smug

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Do I not remember a Canadian Challenger last year where they could hardly get a full quota of players? I seem to remember joking that if I had turned up I would have got a place.

On second thoughts, maybe it was a Futures. Steveg don't seem to keep a record of last year's Calendar, so I can't look up the name.

steven · Tennis legend

That would be the Rimouski Challenger, where a few Brits have gone in the past (now you mention it, I remember bemoaning the fact that none went last year!), including Bloomers, who was no. 4 seed in 2006 but went out in R1 and yes, you're right - there was no qualifying and one R1 bye in the main draw!

However, the 8 seeds there were all in the top 225, with top seed Fleishman ranked 133.

-- Edited by steven at 10:02, 2008-02-15

Akhenaten · Pro player

Madeline wrote:

Do I not remember a Canadian Challenger last year where they could hardly get a full quota of players? I seem to remember joking that if I had turned up I would have got a place.

On second thoughts, maybe it was a Futures. Steveg don't seem to keep a record of last year's Calendar, so I can't look up the name.

I was thinking of that one too. You're right, it was a challenger - Rimouski, Canada. 22 Oct 2007.

SteveG archived calendars are under "Archived Results/Rankings/Stats", the section under "Quick Look".

(Don't know why may writings turned to capitals. weirdface

)

Bladetiger · Pro player

RobC wrote:

thank - you - I was feeling rather smug

Before you get too smug, I did say 2008, and naming 1 Uzbekistan challenger doesnt really count as a stronger field than many challengers. Nonethless it was a good spot, and it is a strong field for a futures, which I guess was your main point!

Bladetiger · Pro player

steven wrote:

Good find! Steveg has the cut as 553 (Sabry) but he was the no. 1 seed in qualifying and not on the original main draw. What may have confused steveg is that Sabry got pulled from qualifying and put in the main draw as an Alternate, which looks like a bit of inadvertent rule-breaking from the organisers to me! I think you're right and the cut ended up being Filippov.

The reason Samarkand was so weak is because players still have bad memories of civil war breaking out in Andijan (also in Uzbekistan) during a tournament a couple of years ago, so Uzbek events are seen as easy points, but only for the brave!

Yes Jonny Marray got to the semi's or final that year and was playing on court with the sound of gunfire getting ever closer on the hills surrounding the event!

He did mention that he was unlikely to be returning there this year!

Salmon · Tennis legend

Actually there are quite a few Challengers with a cut lower than this tourney. The cut for this isn't in the 600s but 412. Berankis got a Junior Exempt into this and the last person with a direct entry is Roman Borvanov.

steven · Tennis legend

RE: Week 9 - USA F5 (15k) - Harlingen TX, USA