Some unexpected action at ATP level this week as Delgado and Murray are given a wild card into the doubles in Stuttgart.
Would have expected them both to show in Manchester to be honest and Delgado to carry on his partnership with Marray, while Murray to perhaps try something with a different partner, but interesting to see them here.
Don't know whether they got the wild card because they were the next team on the list and no Germans who wanted to play where around, or perhaps because Delgado plays for the local club in the Bundesliga (I'm sure he plays for someone, but cannot remember who) and thus this was his reward.
Kohlmann and Greul haven't played together this season, but Kohlmann has won a challenger this year, has 5 ATP doubles titles, and at the moment is in the Newport semi finals, while Greul has sneaked back into the top 100 for singles and has won a couples of doubles challengers this season.
Certaintly not a great draw for the Brits, but a decent chance of getting a much needed win, especially for Jamie Murray, who needs some good results to avoid dropping out of the top 100 in the next few weeks and dropping behind Auckland, Skupski and possibly Fleming in the GB doubles ranks.
[1] KUBOT, Lukasz POL/MARACH, Oliver AUT vs CHARDY, Jeremy FRA/MATHIEU, Paul-Henri FRA [WC] DELGADO, Jamie GBR/MURRAY, Jamie GBR vs [WC] GREUL, Simon GER/KOHLMANN, Michael GER [3] DLOUHY, Lukas CZE/SKOCH, David CZE vs HANESCU, Victor ROU/TECAU, Horia ROU HERNANDEZ, Oscar ESP/MONTANES, Albert ESP vs BECK, Andreas GER/DAVYDENKO, Nikolay RUS
FOGNINI, Fabio ITA/JUNQUEIRA, Diego ARG vs NAVARRO, Ivan ESP/SIMON, Gilles FRA KAS, Christopher GER/ZVEREV, Mischa GER vs [4] CERMAK, Frantisek CZE/MERTINAK, Michal SVK PETZSCHNER, Philipp GER/SCHUETTLER, Rainer GER vs ACASUSO, Jose ARG/VASSALLO ARGUELLO, Martin ARG ARNOLD KER, Lucas ARG/CUEVAS, Pablo URU vs [2] FYRSTENBERG, Mariusz POL/MELO, Marcelo BRA
Jamie D & Jamie M hit the courts tomorrow. I hope the journey hasn't been in vain.
So do I! Of direct relevance to the boys' half of the draw, if they can but get past Greul & Kohlmann, is a result from earlier this evening: the Czech third seeds, Lukas Dlouhy & David Skoch, are out, beaten 2-6 6-4 [12-14] by the Romanian pair, Victor Hanescu & Horia Tecau!
6-4 *2-1 down but have just got the break back :). Now 4-6 *2-2 Delgado to serve. Delgado is really being picked on by the germans, being the weaker of the brits.
Delgado really isnt at this standard anymore, Murray has kept them in this match as it is. I would like for Murray to move on off Delgado, because he will hold him back. He used to be a force but his power and speed ave gone from watching this match, or hes having a shocker. Anyway 4-6 4-3*
The depth of knowledge that German ommentators have about GB players never fails to amaze me. You'd be hard pressed to find a British commentator with that much knowledge about Brits, let along about Germans. LOL
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