Alex Ward WR 969 was the 5th Alt on the last entry list update and the 6th Alt is the top seed in qualifying, so I am hoping that means that the Wardinator ended up as the last DA here!
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
QR1: Balraj Sohal UNR lost to Borja Zarco (ESP) UNR by 0 & 1
It's tempting to wonder if Rob Dee has changed his name byu deed poll and is now competing as Balraj Sohal, but I think the Deester would be winning more games than this.
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
L32: Alex Ward WR 969 v David Ollivier-Baquero (ESP) WR 877
Ollivier-Baquero is a 24-year-old who has only just hit a career high of 877 but he thrashed Thornley 1 & 3 in the Heraklio QFs last month and beat Morgan Phillips in a Satellite 4 years ago, with various other low/unranked Brit scalps to his credit in between. A good chance of another point for the Wardinator though, but probably only one because no. 3 seed Diaz-Ventura, Alex's nemesis from Balaguer, is likely to await the winner in R2.
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
I think this match should show us whether that run to the final was a fluke or the start of something. Since then Ward has had pretty dire draws and therefore it's been hard to tell, but this seems like a good draw. If he can win here, I'll be really happy. If he doesn't, I'll start to expect less of him. unfair of me, probably but honest!
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To look at a thing is quite different from seeing a thing and one does not see anything until one sees its beauty
Another Brit to lose serve around the end of a set then...
On ranking, it's an expected loss but after reaching the final things haven't happened for him and this kind of match he should be winning if that run wasn't a fluke.
Sure he'll start picking up points again, but needs a win sooner rather than later