Week 33 - New Delhi Challenger IV [50K] - 2008.

Vandenburg · Futures level

RE: Week 33 - New Delhi Challenger IV [50K] - 2008.

steven · Tennis legend

What a brilliant idea it was to go to these Indian Challengers!

I agree that there's a very good chance that Josh will be in the top 200 on Monday - 200 points would have been enough for 198th place this week, though 200 points usually isn't quite enough for a top 200 place so it may be touch and go unless he wins the Final - and you can't really ask for a better opponent than WR 410, the last direct acceptance in the draw who certainly isn't an up and coming youngster! He did have a career high of 130 four years ago though.

Kindlmann lost to Bloomers in Kyoto and in Wolfsburg this year, though in his only other meeting with a Brit since 2004, he beat Boggo two years ago.

Vandenburg · Futures level

this reminds me of his best form like when he reahced main draw of US and Wimby thur quals a couple of years ago.

Sheddie · administrator

re Wang's loss........you have to remember it's incredibly hot out there so these strange results can happen. When playing in 95% humidity it's tough against anyone.....players are sweating so much the courts are becoming really slippery and tough to move on

Vandenburg · Futures level

i spy a davis cup call up
your thoughts guys?

Count Zero · Tennis legend

with current form you have to say andy, alex, jamie, josh. i believe.

Bladetiger · Pro player

Count Zero wrote:

with current form you have to say andy, alex, jamie, josh. i believe.

Cant disagree with that, given Alex's DC record would you go with Josh in the singles or Boggo?

DUSTY DICK · Club Coach

Hi from Tenerife. Great to see Josh doing so well. Should get the title now and brill to see him enter the top 200 next week. Also of course he should feel fantastic for the US Quali´s as he has qualified before.

Salmon · Tennis legend

Tenerife sounds fun.

Hope you're enjoying yourself.

No result whatsoever.

And it probably wasn't rained off as the OOP hasn't been updated. Hopefully it'll be updated tomorrow morning or else a paper will pick it up.

Kudos to Harsh Mankad on winning the doubles title just days after his father passed away.

If you're older and a cricket nut, you may remember his father, Ashok Mankad and will definitely remember his grandfather, the legendary Vinoo Mankad.

Shhh · Challenger level

Josh lost in straight sets 7-6(3) 6-3.

I think we all expected him to take the title (?) and puts a dampner on two very good weeks. Is he at a career high though? He's certainly made solid consistent propress this year, lets hope his peak is still some way off.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

thats a shame

( but a good week over all for josh.

@ blade, well i am not the most neutral one to ask

assuming they will be taking on melzer then i think alex. alex may get tight, but if he can start well and play well then we at least have a chnace of winning. he has a set of melzer on grass too (unfortunately he then choked the match away it appeared),
of cousre we will see howthey do at the uso, and JL will see them in training in the run up.

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Shame that he lost the final, as it was a great chance for him to win a challenger title, but it's been a good two weeks for him with the doubles title last week, and now a final here.

Still wouldn't pick Josh above Boggo for the Davis Cup though, as even though Boggo has got tight in the past, he seems to be getting over that with the recent results, and I just can't get Goodall beating Melzer (and as Goodall has never won a match on the ATP tour, he's not the most reliable in big situations either)

The only way I'd play Goodall against Melzer is if they want to save Boggo for a potential 5th rubber with Peya without having the confidence damaged by a loss to Melzer and a hammering in the press (but they'd have to make it clear to the press that Boggo isn't being dropped, but saved for a 5th rubber)

steven · Tennis legend

Shhh wrote:

Josh lost in straight sets 7-6(3) 6-3.

I think we all expected him to take the title (?) and puts a dampner on two very good weeks. Is he at a career high though? He's certainly made solid consistent propress this year, lets hope his peak is still some way off.

Sad news, after a 24 hour news blackout of which even the LTA would have been 'proud'. I doubt Josh is ever going to have a more winnable Challenger Final. Nevertheless, it's been a good fortnight for him and he will definitely be at a new career high on Monday with a slightly better than 50:50 chance that he'll have cracked the top 200 for the first time.

DJ · County player

Salmon wrote:

Kudos to Harsh Mankad on winning the doubles title just days after his father passed away. If you're older and a cricket nut, you may remember his father, Ashok Mankad and will definitely remember his grandfather, the legendary Vinoo Mankad.

Good memories stirred there, thanks, Arka, both in a cricketing and a personal sense!
I had a triple heart by-pass six years ago in Edinburgh; the day before the op, the surgeon came along to meet with me and introduced himself as 'Mr Mankad'. "Not related to the legendary Vinoo, by any chance?" I asked jokingly. "Why, yes", he replied, clearly pleased that the family name was known even in Scotland! He told me that Vinoo had succumbed to drink - how desperately sad! We chatted happily about cricket for a while, till it was time for him to go and sharpen his knives. As far as the op is concerned, 'Oi'll give him foive', as Monica(?) used to say.

-- Edited by DJ at 12:41, 2008-08-21

Salmon · Tennis legend

Great story there.