wolf wrote:

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Ross Hutchins and James Auckland are in the doubles here, in the same quarter of the draw.

[...]

James plays with Jiri Vanek, and they play Olivier Patience and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

They both play tommorow, and hopefully will set up a quarter-final meeting.

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Well, Aucks & Vanek have fulfilled their part of that particular bargain!   Took 'em a while to get their eye in, but they got there in the end:  3-6 6-4 [10-7].   Good win for them.  Should be quite a confidence-booster for James!

*  Fingers crossed for Hutch & de Voest in the final match on the centre court today...

helki wrote:

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Stircrazy wrote:

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Well, Aucks & Vanek have fulfilled their part of that particular bargain!   Took 'em a while to get their eye in, but they got there in the end:  3-6 6-4 [10-7].   Good win for them.  Should be quite a confidence-booster for James!

*  Fingers crossed for Hutch & de Voest in the final match on the centre court today...

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A good win indeed for Aucks and Vanek. Up to R & R to emulate them and set up that QF meeting.

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R & R couldn't do it.  They went down in three 3-6 6-4 [6-10].

helki wrote:

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R & R couldn't do it.  They went down in three 3-6 6-4 [6-10].

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Great shame!   I've been doing a bit of digging following that defeat, as  I was aware of Coria's "pedigree", but only vaguely of Hood's "previous", so from Wikipedia:

Coria tested positive for nandrolone in April 2001 [when he was only 19!] and was initially suspended two years. Coria claimed that the only supplement he was taking was a multivitamin made by an N[ew] J[ersey] supplements company. His family had a private lab test the multivitamin, which found them contaminated with steroids. Subsequently, the ATP reduced his suspension to only the seven months that had already passed. Coria sued the company for more than $10 million in lost prize money and endorsements and settled after the third day of the trial for an undisclosed amount.

[...]

Coria's level during 2006 seriously dropped, losing in the first round at several tournaments. He withdrew from the 2006 French Open and from Wimbledon to rehabilitate. In August 2006 he hired Horacio de la Peña as his tennis coach. In 2007, Coria was scheduled to return on April 30 at the Ostrava Challenger in the Czech Republic, but withdrew due to injuries.

Coria contemplated retirement from professional tennis after a series of injuries and subsequent loss of belief in his own ability. Sources say he is 'down and out' and wants to return but says 'it's a long road back and I'm lost on the wrong road....without a map' (rough translation). Coria made his return in a Challenger in Belo Horizonte Brazil on 10/22/07. He lost the first set 6-3 to fellow Argentine Juan Pablo Brzezicki and subsequently retired with a back injury. He had been leading in the first set 3-1.

Coria finally returned to the main ATP circuit in the Movistar Open in Chile on January 28, 2008. He showed positive signs of recovering his form, but was still defeated in the first round by Pablo Cuevas 6-4 4-6 6-3. In February, in his second ATP Circuit appearance of the year, Coria defeated Italian qualifier Francesco Aldi 6-4 7-5. It was his first ATP victory in 19 months.

Mariano Hood (born August 14, 1973 in Buenos Aires) is a left-handed professional Argentine tennis player who specialized in doubles. In his career, Hood won 13 out of the 26 top level doubles finals he was in. He turned professional in 1993, and currently resides in his city of birth, Buenos Aires. He won $US806,888 in earnings and was coached by Daniel Orsanic. He won his first doubles title in Santiago, Chile in 1998 and Palermo in 2005 was his last title. On October 27, 2003, Hood reached his highest doubles ranking of World Number 20. He partnered either Sebastian Prieto or Lucas Arnold Ker to win most of his doubles titles. He did have other partnerships as well, though. However, Hood was banned by the ITF for the illegal use of finasteride after he had made the French Open quarter-finals in 2005. He thus planned to retire from the professional circuit. However, Hood made a strong comeback in 2008. He reached the semi-finals of the 2008 Copa Telmex in Buenos Aires with José Acasuso and won a challenger in Santiago, Chile with Eduardo Schwank, defeating the first and second seeds along the way.

* Looks as though Hood is/was the greater sinner! Either way, quite a formidable pairing, so "dangerous floaters" as WCs & a tough first-round test for Ross & Rik!  Pity it had to be the first round!   Anyway, all water under the bridge now.  It's up to Aucks & Vanek to try & exact revenge in the first match on the "Centralino" Court, starting at 11.00 BST tomorrow...