Week 28 - Manchester Challenger [35K+H] - 2009.

Drew · Jul 17, 2009

RE: Week 28 - Manchester Challenger [35K+H] - 2009.

steven · Tennis legend

wow that must have been sweet revenge - the GB Challengers GOAT strikes again! biggrin Of course, he outplayed Peya in DC until the slight injury started hampering him and Peya started playing on it.

Nothing to stop him going a bit further, but of the course the QFs are always the crunch round for Alex (i.e. the round he most commonly goes out, but if he wins a QF he wins the semi more often than not) for reasons we still haven't quite fathomed.

Meanwhile, news reaches me that Ken and the Phlegm won 10-6 in the MTB, their match also being played indoors. biggrin (I'd say Flemski to avoid offending you know who, but I didn't want you thinking I meant one of our new posters had stepped in and won the match wink

-- Edited by steven on Friday 17th of July 2009 06:47:14 PM

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

steven wrote:
Meanwhile, news reaches me that Ken and the Phlegm won 10-5 in the MTB, their match also being played indoors. (I'd say Flemski to avoid offending you know how,[...]

And how might that be?

Smidster · Challenger level

Well done Boggo.

spud · Challenger qualifying

Goodall/Marray breezed through to the final. Winning 2 matches today i believe.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

steven wrote:
Meanwhile, news reaches me that Ken and the Phlegm won 10-5 in the MTB, their match also being played indoors. (I'd say Flemski to avoid offending you know how, but I didn't want you thinking I meant one of our new posters had stepped in and won the match

Col & Ken (2) won 6-3 6-7(3) [10-6] & take on Duclos & Lacko in the SF after they easily saw off the third seeds, Bastl & Mahut, by 2 & 4.

In the other half of the draw, Goody & Jonny M (4) dumped out Fischer & Nielsen by 5 & 4 to reach the final.

Here's hoping for an all-Brit final!

-- Edited by Stircrazy on Friday 17th of July 2009 07:28:37 PM

steven · Tennis legend

Boggo must feel a bit miffed that he's had to beat Smeets and Peya to get 13 points this week, whereas Josh Milton has got 14 for beating Nacho Coll (a very good win, but still ranked outside the top 400), Telawetz (ranked outside the top 900) and two Brits ranked outside the top 1200!

There's no doubt (in my mind anyway) that the ranking system changes have made early round wins in Challengers the most under-rewarded wins in tennis (*) - they weren't that well rewarded even before the changes.

(*) Apart of course from early round wins in strong ATP 250 events with 56 draws, i.e. Queen's.

-- Edited by steven on Friday 17th of July 2009 06:58:28 PM

The Knight · Challenger qualifying

did Boggo pick up an injury in DC?

Steven you should also mention (in terms of under-rewarded wins) winning rounds of qualifying for ATP 500s and 250s, where there weren't points before the change and still there aren't any. Grand Slam qualifying, on the other hand, is decently rewarding (financially too)

steven · Tennis legend

The Knight wrote:
did Boggo pick up an injury in DC?

Steven you should also mention (in terms of under-rewarded wins) winning rounds of qualifying for ATP 500s and 250s, where there weren't points before the change and still there aren't any. Grand Slam qualifying, on the other hand, is decently rewarding (financially too)

Yes, he had a slight injury going into the match and it became obvious during the match (from courtside anyway) that it was hampering him a bit, especially to Peya who clearly switched his gameplan to take advantage of it.

Unusually (in the sense that he used to just shut up and take it), it was mentioned in the press conference afterwards, but of course the journos (even the ones who should have known better) never like to let anything as trivial as the facts get in the way of a good old Boggo bash.

You're absolutely right about qualifying wins at ATP level being under-rewarded (i.e. not rewarded at all unles you actually qualify) - it must act as a big disincentive to trying to qualify for ATP events, unlike the WTA events where you do get points for winning rounds in much the same way as in slam qualifying for the men.

That's why many ATP qualifying draws are made up of a few players who just missed the main draw cut and know that they will be seeded to qualify, a few people playing doubles at ATP level and trying to get their singles ranking up there too and a few players who'd have to qualify even if they entered Challengers.

-- Edited by steven on Friday 17th of July 2009 09:12:08 PM

The Knight · Challenger qualifying

Wow, even i gave him a thumping after that match...seems a bit harsh now

Shhh · Challenger level

Lukas Lacko could end up playing 3 matches in a day here

That could suit Colin and Ken

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

That's a very good win for Boggo against a player that he has struggled against in the past and considering the underwhelming season he has had, it must be huge for him to get the win against him.

Ilhan up next shouldn't be too much of a problem as he is nothing more than a solid top 250 player in all honesty and his best results this year have come in Turkey, but he has had some good wins. That said, if they get on the grass then Boggo would be a huge favourite, and even indoors, I can't see him losing unless he plays really badly.

Looking good in doubles as well with Flemski in the semi finals and Goodall/Marray in the final. Got a very good chance of a British winner in doubles at the very least, which will do both teams the power of good.

Flemski · Social player

Skuppers and Flembo are playing tommorow, but a time is not confirmed, and just to let you guys know, i said i was going but i cant get down there, is anyone going from liverpool?

Drew · Jul 17, 2009

The only way the tennis public found out that Boggo was injured during that DC tie was that bt.net was there at the PC when Alex told everyone. Not one of the established media reported it.

It was not an excuse from Alex...it was just a reason for his lack of mobility....he played so well that day and also in the other rubber he lost.

Well done Alex again !!!!

Flemski · Social player

Yeah, Thats true there drew