Watch Willis Live!

Salmon · Tennis legend

Watch Willis Live!

Sheddie · administrator

is this the final ?

will be around at approx 7.30pm GMT....follows on nicely from Andy

Salmon · Tennis legend

Yes, it's the final.

Hopefully they'll show it. Otherwise they'll be broadcasting the doubles finals, which would be madness.

Sheddie · administrator

is willis the favourite here ?

-- Edited by The Shedman at 13:25, 2008-08-30

Salmon · Tennis legend

Only slightly, I think, and I won't be shocked if Basic wins it. He's very highly rated by many people (not me) and has had a great time on clay this year, including a Grade 1 title. He also got a doubles wild card for Umag, by the way.

Will be a great achievement if Marcus can win this, as this is one of the biggest Junior tournaments (about the tenth best) around. It'll be the biggest title won by a Brit boy since Andy's triumph in the USO, actually.

Sheddie · administrator

I think Andy played here back in 2003, lost to Baghdatis in the quarters

Salmon · Tennis legend

No. In 2003, he won the tournament after beating Tsonga in the semifinal.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

It said in the other thread that Andy won it in 2003?

I don't know, I tried to check and couldn't find it.

Edit - aha! Arka beat me to it, with the correct info, by 4 seconds!

-- Edited by Madeline at 16:19, 2008-08-30

Salmon · Tennis legend

Actually the doubles finals were played yesterday, so they just have to show Marcus's match.

You should also check out the girls' final if possible. Nicole Gibbs is very good!

I saw a bit of the Wagh vs. Kelsey Stevenson match on the first day and the quality of the stream was very good.

Sheddie · administrator

Willis was 1-6, 6-2, 1-5 down but he's saved several mps

and just broken back for 5-5 !!!!!

lots of fist-pumping and jumping going on

Sheddie · administrator

He's just held to 15 to go 6-5 up !

from what I've seen Basic is quite aggressive, attacking the net a lot but Willis has hit a lot of passing shot winners on the run particularly off the forehand

The game at 5-4 with Basic serving for the match again was really long, Basic had a number of mps and I'm sure Willis saved one with a net cord

Sheddie · administrator

Willis completes an amazing comeback to win 1-6, 6-2, 7-5 !!!!!! wow....reeled off the last 6 games and that's a huge, huge title, big congrats to him !

Serving at 5-6 Basic was 30-15 up but Willis came up with 2 forehand passes to get 30-40. Basic powered a forehand into the corner and was in at the net but somehow Willis managed to slice it at Basic's feet and he netted the volley

Willis celebrates with a Federer style collapse to the court and Basic responded by pumping 2 balls out of the stadium

Huge crowd there btw !!!!!!! Sort of crowd you see at most ATP finals

Sheddie · administrator

Willis looks quite promising from what I saw, good serve, good counter-punching ability and like Andy he moves very well for a big guy of 6'3

hopefully he'll play some more futures this autumn, with good draws he could emulate Evo's achievements

freerider · Futures level

how old is willis?

Count Zero · Tennis legend

well done marcus