Week 34 - US Open Qualifying - 2008.

Salmon · Tennis legend

RE: Week 34 - US Open Qualifying - 2008.

djlovesyou · Strong Club Player

Not sure a lot of kids think about tennis when they're very young.

9-14 year old sport education is a lot about field sports.

steven · Tennis legend

Very true, and all about team sports as well.

Edit: I realise that's just saying the same thing, because field sports tend to be team sports, but I think it is another reason why tennis is looked down on here. Team sports are supposed to e more character-building of course, but I think having to survive on your own out there is just as character-building, albeit in a different way.

-- Edited by steven at 10:11, 2008-08-01

Silver · County player

I just wanna add my two cents here cos I've been a primary school teaching assistant for eighteen months. When I arrived, none of the kids played or knew how to play tennis at all, barring a couple. After I joined, I grabbed a few rusting rackets out of the sports shed and had a bit of a knockabout with another teacher and two of the kids to try and get them interested. After that, it was tennis at lunchtime play and break times cos they suddenly got interested and because both I and the the teacher were trying to teach them how to play it. By the end of the term, it was a teacher vs teach(ing assistant) doubles match and the kids absolutely loved it. Now it's second to football at that school because it was introduced to them by a couple of passionate tennis supporters and players.

That all might sound a little arrogant and horn-blowing but it was true. The Headteacher even said she was impressed that they were playing something other than football. The same teacher got the kids interested in rugby and these are 7-11 year olds. I'm just pleased we managed to get them interested in a sport that they wouldn't have normally played and given the way a couple of those kids played, I would like to see a couple of them develop their skills at the very least (one of them plays at the town's tennis club now but also plays squash and badminton).

Oh and I lost the tennis match and was MONUMENTALLY GUTTED seeing as I'm so horribly horribly competitive at everything. The sad thing? I didn't even go easy on the year six kids!!!!! I was belting that ball all over the place like my life depended on it!

I'm sorry to all those kids :(

Ah, who am I kidding, no I'm not :P

Vandenburg · Futures level

good story, it all has to start somewhere
but getting world class coaches on X amount of money a week isnt the answer.

steven · Tennis legend

Brilliant story, and it doesn';t sound like horn-blowing at all, just simple good sense. A bit of enthusiasm in a situation like that goes a long way. It backs up our hunch over what a difference it could make if kids were just given the chance to play tennis earlier.

Salmon · Tennis legend

Bloomers is now three places out. Slabba is seven places out.

talp · Junior player

Boggo for 1st round

Count Zero · Tennis legend

would be great if alex can qualify. i think he stands a good chance with a decentish draw.

its funny tho winning 3 matches in bronx is worth 24pts but winning 3 at the usoq is worth 20.

of course after that it loses the similaitry and youd swap those 3 wins anyday.

Vandenburg · Futures level

mmm yeh i hope he does
so is it very likely well get more with drawals for bloomers n slabba to get in or is it still touch and go?

Salmon · Tennis legend

Bloomers getting in a certainty and Slabba not getting in will be a shock (although not impossible), too.

talp · Junior player

about kids tennis AS im a in tht category it goes Footy, Rugby - Tennis is played by 3 people in my yr - out of 250 - i have beaten the other 2

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Bloomers out by 3 will get in, as surely 3 Americans in the quali list will get a WC, and then there is the Aussie and French WC's as well, which could go to top 250 players (I think the Aussie one will go to Groth, while the French one could go to any of the players on the quali list)

I'd say 5 of the 7 remaining WC's will go to players in the quali list, which would mean Slabba would need to find 2 players to withdraw, which should happen, with doubts over enough players in the main draw and quali lists.

How far would the Brits go all depends on the draw they get - someone like Anderson/Nishikori in the first round would be a bad draw, but hopefully they'll all get a draw where the first match is winnable.

Boggo is the best bet to qualify, and I hope he does, but I've followed enough nightmare qualifying events with him not to get my hopes up, and as long as he doesn't blow a match this time I'll be happy

Vandenburg · Futures level

On a hardcourt on his day boggo can beat anyone ranked 110+ or whatever the cut off is.
Maybe goodall if draw goes his way, tho i think slabba n bloomers will be doing well to win round one.

stockade · Newbie

Groths form of late has been very average. (since getting off grass)
Smeets has easily lost the last three first rounds of Challengers after being seeded. Seems to be a two horse race Ball (21) & Klein (18) who is 3 spots below your boys! Both are still going in Challengers this week!