Week 8 - Challenger ($85,000 + H) - Besançon, France

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Week 8 - Challenger ($85,000 + H) - Besançon, France

seagull · Hall of fame

With Clement and Wang withdrawing Alex is 3 places away from the Main Draw with 2 SE places still to be allocated..hopefully he can scrape in.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

i hope so. i dont think he will be going for qualies.

would it only be people in belgrade who could get a SE spot?

seagull · Hall of fame

Yep - I think it is only Beck and Bozoljac who could be awarded an SE as all the others are in Rotterdam qualifying (or have withdrawn from it)

Count Zero · Tennis legend

the only people left in belgrade that i think might take a SE are karol beck and bozo. neither are in the top 20 alts. i am sure bozo would be so i guess hes isnt going, so maybe its just beck (who has made the semis). Others who are there are either already in the md or are in rotterdam qualies. (like troicki, smeets etc)

seagull · Hall of fame

Bohli and Meffert now also out.

Alex is next in line so he either needs one of the 2 SE's to be freed up, or for Peya to choose Rotterdam qualifying (he is in both at the moment).

Looking good for Alex

Count Zero · Tennis legend

i hope he makes it.

Sheddie · administrator

Slabba's going for besancon qualies ...was going to play croatia 2 but after getting messed up by them for wk 1 he decided not to travel as its super-strong and he's likely to be in qualies - having to win 4 matches for 1 pt on a weird surface is not great

playing in this quality tournament will be great experience and who knows, he could surprise a few ppl in qualies draw

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Sheddie wrote:

Slabba's going for besancon qualies ...was going to play croatia 2 but after getting messed up by them for wk 1 he decided not to travel as its super-strong and he's likely to be in qualies - having to win 4 matches for 1 pt on a weird surface is not great

playing in this quality tournament will be great experience and who knows, he could surprise a few ppl in qualies draw

That's great news! smile

Let's hope he does...

seagull · Hall of fame

Slabba gets the 3rd set Dolgopolov Jr...Bloomers also playing here and he will play Bastl

Looks like Boggo has made the Main draw

http://www.atptennis.com/en/common/TrackIt.asp?file=http://www.atptennis.com/1/posting/2008/497/qs.pdf

Count Zero · Tennis legend

i think he has, he said he was going to france on sunday

helki · Futures qualifying

I wonder if Aucks and Delgo will turn up in the doubles?

johnnylad · Tennis legend

Exciting!

I wonder if Slabba and Dolgopolov have any ties from way back when!

Count Zero · Tennis legend

tough for bloomers: bastl then prob gruel!!

steven · Tennis legend

QR1: Richard Bloomfield WR 334 v George Bastl (SUI) WR 470

No. 2 seed Simon Greul and no. 8 seed Catalin Gard are the top players in this section of the draw. Bastl is on a 4-match winning streak against Brits - Lee Childs took a set off him at Queen's last year, but before that he had also beaten Boggo, Maker & Marray, though Boggo beat him in 2006 at Newport and he did lose to Hilton & Aucks in successive Queen's qualifying tournaments in 2004 & 2005. Funnily enough, Russia's Michael Elgin has knocked Bastl out in three of his last five tournaments!

QR1: Alex Slabinsky (GBR) WR 406 v (q3) Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr (UKR) WR 220

Dolgopolov Jr has only ever played three Brits - Murray, Baker & (in juniors) Kennaugh, losing to all of them. His most recent claim to fame was just missing out on qualifying for the AO, losing 14-12 in the 3rd to Sam Warburg.