Week 10 - Challenger ($35K+H) - Kyoto, Japan

steven · Tennis legend

Week 10 - Challenger ($35K+H) - Kyoto, Japan

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

No-one really to fear in qualifying for Slabba, so hopefully he can get back to winning ways in round one here, and produce the form that won him all those round one matches in challengers last year.

freerider · Futures level

qualifiers placed - slabba has got matsui

freerider · Futures level

matsui = wr 439

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Decent draw for Slabba as Matsui hasn't done anything this season (before this had lost to a player ranked outside the top 800 in his only match) and didn't beat anyone special in qualifying.

He'll have the home crowd behind him, but if he was really that good, he'd have gotten one of the wild cards anyway, so that tells us a lot of what the Japanese think of him.

He's also in the doubles draw, teaming with Guillermo Alcaide, but they've got the top seeds Quereshi/Slanar in round 1, with neither of Slabba's matches to be played tomorrow.

Mikeduke · County player

Slabba is also playing in the doubles, but has drawn the top seed in the first round.

ALCAIDE, Guillermo and SLABINSKY, Alexande VS QURESHI, Aisam-Ul-Haq and SLANAR, Martin [1]

steven · Tennis legend

If I'm remembering right what the Japanese for GBR is, then according to http://www16.ocn.ne.jp/~takyoto/tournament-info/2009/45th-shimadzu-indoor/HP/scoreboard.htm (it matches other things too, like apparently being the 2nd match on Court B), Slabba has contrived to lose a close R1 match disbelief

L32: Alex Slabinsky WR 338 lost to (Q) Toshihide Matsui (JPN) WR 430 by 7-6(6) 6-3 3-6 bleh

-- Edited by steven at 06:57, 2009-03-10

The Hoose · Satellite level

Yep, a 6-7(6) 6-3 3-6 loss for Surabinsuki.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

that's pretty disappointing. i am not sure, maybe slabba would have been better off playing these uk futures, still with the high European challenger cuts it is tough to get into challengers so many he had to take the chances he can.

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

If he did lose, then it's a disappointing result for Slabba who for whatever reason doesn't appear to have got going this season, after what looked so good when he qualified and won a round in New Caladonia.

Just needs some easy draws to get the confidence back, but then again, this was pretty easy and he couldn't win - maybe dropping back to futures for a few weeks might be the answer

steven · Tennis legend

You might be right. Got to respect the fact that he'd prepared to travel out to Japan and have a go though.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

i can see how heading to the far east is a good idea, getting 3 challengers in, but when you have 2 home futures and a challenger available at the same time i am not sure it makes the most sense. especially as we now know the players have a 12K budget to manage on, which i know sounds a lot, but these guys are buying open returns and one way flights a lot and i am sure the costs mounts.

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

I think going to Japan may have been the right idea, especially with the strength of the field, but as Count said, when it clashes with 2 UK futures and a weak-ish Uk challenger, it's probably not the right time to be heading abroad.

Respect to Slabba for going out there though, but it's still a disappointing loss to a player he should be beating.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

its true - hindsight is a wonderful thing. Hopefully Slabba will acclimatise more and have better luck in Thailand

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Mikeduke wrote:

Slabba is also playing in the doubles, but has drawn the top seed in the first round.

ALCAIDE, Guillermo and SLABINSKY, Alexande VS QURESHI, Aisam-Ul-Haq and SLANAR, Martin [1]

I may be misinterpreting the Kanji symbols on the site scoreboard, but I think Slabba & Alcaide lost (not unexpectedly, I suppose) 6-7(3) 3-6 to the top seeds! cry