freerider wrote:

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maybe s. roberts who was playing in the british tour final today Vs. willis

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Roberts beat willis 1 &3 in the final - well deserving of a md wc in my opinion

I lost 6-0, 6-0, winning 14 points I think it was (may have been one or two more), including five in a game where I had two break points. I just couldn't find my first serve otherwise I might have nicked a game or two. My tactic was to serve and volley but it didn't really work as I had to get my volleys deep into the corner or else I got passed. I think it was at 0-3 in the second where I had the break points which I fashioned by just pounding some returns and plus he did a double fault and missed an easy forehand but I missed a high forehand on one bp and he did a big serve on the other which I only just got back. I had a chance to get another bp in the same game but my smash wasn't good enough and he passed me. The point of the match from me though was early in the second set when he hit a shot which clipped the top of the net which made me change the grip from slice to topspin which made me hit it short. He then did an approach shot to my backhand which I got down to his feet and when he played an angled clipped half-volley I just managed to get to it just outside the tramlines and whip it past him crosscourt on my backhand.

Obviously the guy was reasonably talented but my first serve percentage must have been about 30% which is just abysmal at any standard and I only got to 30 once on serve. On return I was a lot better I was reading it quite well and getting it back hard to his feet. In the rallys I wasn't really doing that badly e.g I could rally with him for 10-20 shots regulary and hit some well paced shots but I just had nothing to hurt him and anything slightly medicore was punished. I've played county standard players in the past and competed to a degree but he was the best player I've ever played against and he is obviously not one of the top U16's in the country for nothing.

I was by no means the worst player there though; there were three guys I would have 100% beat 6-0, 6-0 myself. They all lost 6-0, 6-0 and they were Sigarchi, Joshi and I think Nkuski. Nkuski was the worst he honestly could barely hit a ball over the net. Sigarchi was a close second worst and whilst Joshi was OK-ish but he didn't have a backhand. He did play two fantastic points in a row though with a forehand pass down the line followed by an ace!

Other results
Priddle beat Golding in straights (6-4, 6-2 maybe?)
Horecny (SVK) v Sidaway - one of them won 6-0 in the 3rd not sure who
Schmid (SVK) beat George Morgan 6-3, 6-7, 6-1 (not 100% over the scoreline)
Poulett beat Modebe 7-6(2 or 3) 6-0
Knights beat Bevan 6-2, 6-0
Beckles v Hackett - Hackett won first set 6-4 I think but Beckles was *4-3 up in the 2nd no idea what happened afterwards
Morgan (USA) beat Matt James something like 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
Egerton beat Crawford 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 (not sure about first set score but last two are right)
Ubhi v Vyrostko (SVK) was close no idea about score but whoever won it was in straight sets
I don't think Whiteford showed for his match with Angus

QR2
Bloomers beat Sternbach (FRA) something like 6-3, 6-2
Willis was trailing Schmid (SVK) 3-4

I decided to cut my losses after my losses after my match and go home because I couldn't stand up for any longer! I'll write up some match reports tonight when I can be bothered. Also sorry for not providing any scores on the doors but I lost my phone last week but I'l probs get a new one for Tuesday when I go again hopefully for the full day.

Bad luck, wolf, and well done for being brave enough to have a go. Around 15 points seems to be about BT.net's level at the moment!

Are you going to post the details on AM.com or shall I?

Thanks for the other scores too.

-- Edited by steven at 17:40, 2009-03-08

tough luck wolf. must be very frustrating when you know you can play better, but it just wont work for what ever reason on the day.

i have just signed up for my local league, having never played a proper match before hopefully i'll start to see some action. my coach said i should put 8 down as my rating. not too upset with that as i dont play often enough really. i am sure i can get it higher.

-- Edited by Count Zero at 17:55, 2009-03-08

Unlucky Wolf, but at least you enjoyed the experience and you can say that have played professional tennis.

Seems a shame that you couldn't produce your best tennis on the day, but I suppose the bloke you played is probably far better than anyone else you've ever played before which probably adds some pressure/makes you change the gameplan you usually use.

Hopefully you'll have another go at qualifying at some point in the future (as I intend to do once there is an event that I can get to) and do better next time - the hallowed game still avoids the BT.net members, but if we manage to draw each time, then at least one of us will win.

Unlucky Wolf :(

Drew wrote:

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Fleming is out of Tipton. Bath Futures then a Challenger.

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Che? does that mean he is gonna play Bath and Jersey or he isn't?