QR1: Alex Slabinsky WR 354 v Jean-Noel Insausti (FRA) WR 467 QR1: (q5) James Ward WR 291 v Juan Sebastian Cabal (COL) WR 420 QR1: Colin Fleming WR 519 v (q4) Carlos Salamanca (COL) WR 288
Not a great draw at all, I'd say, particularly since the winners of Slabba and Wardy's matches will play each other in QR2. The top seed in their section is (q2) Matthias Bachinger WR 261.
__________________
GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
Not the greatest draw in the end for the British players, and I'm not sure we'll end up with a qualifier from here.
Fleming will do very well to get out of his section, while Ward and Slabba haven't been showing the kind of form where they could be in a position to qualify - and Bachinger is one of those players who is impossible to predict how well he'll do.
Cabal from what i know is a mainly a clay court columbian drug barron. Takes part in all those Brazilian futures like 'Brazil F550' etc. Ward is defo fav for this.
L32: Josh Goodall WR 198 v Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) WR 233 (CH 164 in 2006)
Superficially an ok looking draw, but unfortunately, Lorenzi is the guy Josh lost to in both Bangkok (6-7(6) 6-3 6-2) and Khorat (a 4 & 0 thrashing) last month - he just can't avoid him at the moment! Lorenzi even took a set off Muzza once, though that was back in 2006 in Adelaide and Andy walloped him 0 & 2 in sets 2 & 3! Looking on the bright side, Wardy beat him in the Jersey Challenger last November.
Lammer, Estrella or one of two Mexican WCs await the qualifiers - if that isn't an huge incentive to qualify, I don't know what is!
-- Edited by steven on Saturday 11th of April 2009 07:44:30 PM
__________________
GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
Thanks, I remember seeing that OoP with the results filled in at the same tournament last year, but I'd completely forgotten about it until now. Colin seems to be continuing to confirm that he's really a top 300 player. On the downside, Slabba has now lost 9 of his last 10 matches starting with that loss to Boggo in Nouméa, or 11 of his last 12 if you include the DC playoffs.
In full:
QR1: Alex Slabinsky WR 354 lost to Jean-Noel Insausti (FRA) WR 467 by 3 & 3 QR1: (q5) James Ward WR 291 beat Juan Sebastian Cabal (COL) WR 420 by 3 & 3 QR1: Colin Fleming WR 519 beat (q4) Carlos Salamanca (COL) WR 288 by 7-6(5) 6-3
QR2: (q5) James Ward WR 291 v Jean-Noel Insausti (FRA) WR 467 QR2: Colin Fleming WR 519 v Rainer Eitzinger (AUT) WR 320 (CH 166 in 2006)
Eitzinger last lost to a Brit (Marray) 7 years ago 2002 and since then he has beaten 4 of them (including Jonny), most recently the Wardinator last year. Insausti is 7-2 against Brits, Fleming and Milton being the two who have beaten him.
-- Edited by steven on Saturday 11th of April 2009 10:08:23 PM
__________________
GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
Good win for Ward and a great win for Fleming, but Slabba has yet another disappointing loss against someone he really should be looking to beat - just don't know what is wrong with him this season and he definatley needs to play futures just to remember how to win matches.
Ward should win again today, and hopefully Fleming can repeat his great win from yesterday.
Not a great draw for Josh though, facing Lorenzi again, and hopefully it can be third time lucky, although I'm not too sure about that - good draw for qualifiers though on paper, although one of the Mexican WC's, Ramirez, is a very good junior.
Well done Jimbob on that win. Can't see him beating Bachinger, but you never know - stranger things have happened. Hopefully these two wins in qualies will help him turn a poor 2009 around.
Pretty poor news from Mexico City unfortunately.....
QR2: Colin Fleming WR 519 lost to Rainer Eitzinger (AUT) WR 320 2-6, 0-1 ret
QR3: (q5) James Ward WR 291 lost to (q2) Matthias Bachinger WR 261 2-6, 2-6
Hopefully Colin will be ok for doubles.....not a great display from Ward, would hope for better from him against someone ranked just 30 places higher
It's strange as 2009 has been a bit of a non-starter for Ward so far....he looked seriously impressive when I watched him at Surbiton and Queens last summer and well on course for a top 200 place....the results for the rest of 2008 seemed to back that up but unless he picks things up over the next few months he'll be dropping back down to the 400s as he has a lot to defend in 2nd half of the year
All in all its just as well that the likes of Evo, Cox and Willis are finding some form atm cause there's not much success to follow in the challengers !!