Week 5 ATP - Johannesburg, South Africa

Count Zero · Tennis legend

RE: Week 5 ATP - Johannesburg, South Africa

S&V · Club Coach

FYI I have a pretty good feed here but I cannot access the tournaments homepage so have no idea who is on or when:

http://www.atdhe.net/index.html#

wolf · Tennis legend

We will have three singles players in the squad so that means we have a back-up if someone gets injured. If we picked two doubles specialists there could be a case for factoring in singles ability as then it would only take one singles player to get injured and then we are in trouble (as we saw when Boggo was injured against Austria last year). But if we are only picking between Jamie and Ross for one spot then the choice should be made on doubles ability and form only.

MAC · Junior player

No-one has yet factored in whether the doubles partnership will work. Last year in theory, and results confirm, both Jamie and Ross are good doubles players but as a partnership it didn't gel - for whatever reasons, some well-documented. Both Ross and Jamie have played with Andy and know him well.

Remember they did play Jamie in a dead singles rubber and he didn't really cover himself in glory, so I'm sure Ross is looking to give JL more to think about.

But if our two best doubles players don't look like being an effective pair - then maybe the only option is to mix and match with second string singles players who can also step up to the doubles if Andy can't play all three matches again?

-- Edited by MAC at 14:19, 2009-02-03

wolf · Tennis legend

Thanks for the link S&V they have streams from Centre and Court 1 (only commentary on centre) so that means we get to watch Ross' singles match. But the doubles has been moved off centre so who knows where it will end up. Match before Ross' singles has just moved into a second set.

-- Edited by wolf at 14:52, 2009-02-03

freerider · Futures level

goodall can plauy doubles cant he?

Count Zero · Tennis legend

almost all of the good singles players can play doubles, sometimes it just comes down to how much time they are prepared to give it.

Boggo, for instance, only plays dubs when he has to stay on somewhere for a week, i.e if he is on a multi week trip overseas, which is probably mainly financially motivated, both in prize money and hotels paid for. If he is planning on returning home straight after he loses in the singles then he doesn't want the doubles distraction.

i really think andy, 1 dubs, 2 singles guys is the way forward.

wolf · Tennis legend

The match before has finally finished and the Hutch has stepped out onto court sporting a black and gray shirt and a white bandana.

http://www.atdhe.net/live-tv-2933.html

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Just got back in at what seems like the perfect time with the match just beginning.

1-0 Vliegen - Hutchins to serve

0-15 - fh too good from Vliegen
15-15 - fh error from Vliegen
30-15 - fh error from Vliegen
30-30 - DF
40-30 - good serve and then Hutch puts the fh away
Game Hutchins - bh slice from Vliegen drifts wide

1-1

wolf · Tennis legend

1-1

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

1-1 - Vliegen to serve

15-0
15-15 - fh volley from Vliegen is long
30-15 - fh from Hutch flies long
40-15 - Ace
Game Vliegen - fh return into the net

Vliegen leads 2-1

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Hutchins to serve - 1-2

0-15 - Ross s/v's, but Vliegen hits a bh lob for a winner
15-15 - bh return is long
15-30 - Ross on the defensive and just floats a bh in, and Vliegen whacks away the volley
30-30 - good volley and Vliegen's bh lob is wide
30-40 - DF
Deuce - Ace
Adv Hutchins - His bh looks to wide, and so thinks Vliegen as he dumps a ball in the net, but it's called in
Deuce - fh's from Vliegen are too big and he hits a big winner
Adv Hutchins - big serve out wide, and then fh into the open court
Deuce - bh slice rally and eventually Ross gets to the net, but Vliegen hits the bh pass which Ross leaves
Adv Hutchins - short return, and fh winner
Game Hutchins - Vliegen on the attack but when he comes to the net, he nets the fh volley

2-2

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Vliegen to serve - 2-2

15-0 - s/v, and at the 2nd attempt he puts the smash away
30-0 - bh return into the net
40-0 - fh return into the net
Game Vliegen - Ross chip/charges, but is passed by Vliegen

Vliegen leads 3-2

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Hutchins to serve - 2-3

15-0 - nice s/v from Ross and Vliegen cannot get the smash back
15-15 - short bh return, but Ross nets the fh
30-15 - Ace
30-30 - good bh return, and Ross nets with the bh
40-30 - Ace out wide (although Vliegen may have got something on it)
Game Hutchins - good s/v, and Vliegen blasts the fh pass long

3-3

wolf · Tennis legend

Ross is serving well but just can't get into Vliegen's service games.