Week 27 - Challenger ($75k+H) - Dublin, Ireland

Bladetiger · Pro player

RE: Week 27 - Challenger ($75k+H) - Dublin, Ireland

Bladetiger · Pro player

Jonny won 4&3. biggrin

He said its soaking wet out there, the courts were still wet when they went out and it was still spitting with rain when they played.

He was under more pressure in the first than Rehnquist but held on until 5-4 and then played a great game to break him at 54.

Then Rehnquist started getting a bit pissed off and Jonny was leading 4-1 when they went off for rain.

They were stood around for an hour and a half before they decided to go indoors, Rehnquist had 0-40 on Jonny's serve at 4-2 but he managed to hold and win the match 4 & 3, obviously really delighted. Ive told him not to just be happy with making the semi's but to keep focused on winning because he'll play these same players for a point and a hundred quid one day and he'll be kicking himself if he's lost a match he could have won when there are big stakes.

Anyway, looks like they are going to indoors for the rest of the day so he should be getting on for dubs later on, though Freddie is playing singles now.

steven · Tennis legend

Bladetiger wrote:
Jonny won 4&3.

Ive told him not to just be happy with making the semi's but to keep focused on winning because he'll play these same players for a point and a hundred quid one day and he'll be kicking himself if he's lost a match he could have won when there are big stakes.

Brilliant

- that's 27 points this week, 28 in total, GB no. 13 and about WR 663. Couldn't agree more with what you say about trying to take the chance to get big points for beating his next opponent in the semis here when he could be playing them for a point some day soon.

Edit: GB no. 13, not 12 - I think I must have left Chris Eaton out of the calculation, but now I've started off the week 28 table, it has all become clear.

-- Edited by steven at 23:29, 2008-07-03

steven · Tennis legend

Also, if it turns out to be Nielsen, Jonny has already proved by beating Pless this week that he can beat the Danes most other Brits can't!

Count Zero · Tennis legend

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Brilliant win for Jonny and he's having an outstanding week so far by reaching the semi's, but hopefully he can go on and reach the final while he's playing this well.

I guess playing doubles with Nielsen will give him an indication of why he keeps beating the Brits, but given he's won 22 in a row against British players, hoping it isn't him as it gives Jonny a better chance of winning (that said, he's got to lose at some point)

steven · Tennis legend

Quick preview ...

In the semis, Jonny will meet no. 2 seed Gilles Muller (LUX) WR 105 or his doubles partner this week and one of the all-time top Brit-bashers Frederik Nielsen (DEN) WR 306, who has won 22 matches in a row against British opposition since losing to Colin Fleming two years ago.

Jonny has played Nielsen once, at the same event two years ago, losing to him 6-4 1-6 6-4.

Muller, who has beaten Roddick at the USO and Agassi in the past, has lost his last three matches against Brits (twice against Boggo and to Slabba in Queen's qualifying), his last win against a Brit being in straight sets against Chris Eaton in Queen's qualifying a year ago. Jonny has never played him before.

Bladetiger · Pro player

Jonny's pretty good friends with Freddie, they have played together before and both support Liverpool, would be a tough game especially as they will both have seen so much of each other this week.

If they play outside would back Jonny against Muller, though he'll be much more used to the fast services than he was at queens, if it goes indoors I guess that will remove Jonny's advantage.

Dont think the fact that Neilsen has beatne a lot of brits will be a factor at all, it's simply reflective of the level he's played at which has been mainly playing lower ranked british players.

I think Jonny would definitely look on Neilsen as a pretty good opponent to be playing for 15 points as he could definitely be playing him for a point in a few weeks, Muller is more the sort of ranking you expect to face in a 75 K semi final.

Anyway guess we'll know soon.

Jonny will have the advantage of watching the opponents if he wants to as well

Nice long match would suit me whoever wins it, though Neilsen will probably then have dubs to follow.

If they both make semi's I wonder how motivated they'll be about a doubles match?

Salmon · Tennis legend

Loving it. This means that he's back to his 100% and it's in good time, too, with the fast Challengers just a few weeks away.

Bladetiger · Pro player

Yes, really great news, so long as he doesnt play too much until he's fully match hard then he should be able to use these PR's over the next few months and have a decent chance of being up in the 3-400's by the time he's back to entering tourneys on his ranking again.

Being up to #670 ish will get him into most Challenger qualifying so if he doesnt use his PR he can still turn up and play most weeks, so this week really couldnt have gone much better.

Bladetiger · Pro player

Sort of thought this might happen- he's playing Freddie in the semi's tomorrow, he beat Muller 76 (6) 64

steven · Tennis legend

I thought it might be Fredrik too, he's obviously in good form. Do you think Jonny will take the SE in Felixstowe next week?

Sheddie · administrator

Fabulous wins for Jonny, great to see him racking up the points on a surface he was born to play on !!! I'd actually like to see him play Felixstowe next week before Manchester, great chance of making final or taking the title and he's had so few matches recently that tiredness shouldn't really be an issue. He's got to max out the points he can get on the artificial and real grass as after Manchester it all slow hard for 2 months, toughest surface for him...one he can get results on (as in AO qualies 2007) but he needs to be at his very best

As for Slabba I think you guys are being very harsh....he reads this site and thinks posters on this forum are harsh on his results. Anyone who's seen him in action especially recently has got to admit that of the Brits he's got one of the best all-round games which helps him get the results on grass, indoor, slow hard, clay etc........plus he's probably got a better shot of making the top 100 than Jamie Baker eg, because he's actually got weapons....the serve and forehand are huge, volleying isnt bad either

ok slightly disappointing against Rehnquist but the guy's ranked 236, has won a challenger and has been top 150. big serving match and it probably came down to a couple of points especially on this surface. I wouldn't say its the sort of match which if he loses suggests he's never gonna make it, takes time to adjust to this level

Its a step up for Slabba who's been mainly in the futures till recently, the promising sign is that he's actually getting wins at this level consistently against Niland, Okun etc

If he can have a good run playing the challengers till end of the year then I think he'll be ranked around 220ish and in a good position for next season

freerider · Futures level

i agree sheddie steady progress is what is required and picking up good wins at challengers despite dropping irregular point hauls from futures will acheive a higher ranking, we should celebrate his R1 win as opposed to moan about his R2 defeat as the win over niland is a cracker

wolf · Tennis legend

Marray & Nielson are also in the doubles final with a 2-6, 6-1, 10-8 win over the 2nd seeds.