Week 32 - Challenger ($50k) - Binghamton, USA

Count Zero · Tennis legend

RE: Week 32 - Challenger ($50k) - Binghamton, USA

The Magician Santoro · Top national player

So much better when he gets his 1st serve in thats 11 aces now, if he could reguarly have his serve in the 60's he'd be some player.

The Magician Santoro · Top national player

4-5* Dabul serving for the match

14 aces for Wardy and served at 65% this set

Count Zero · Tennis legend

GSM 63 64. dabul dominated on serve and Ward paid for what looekd like a few lapses.

The Magician Santoro · Top national player

Brian Dabul WR 90 def. James Ward WR 268 6-3, 6-4

Good effort from Ward against another top 100 player, whoever said Dabuls favourite surface is clay is clearly wrong the majority of Dabul's success has come on outdoor hard.

He has won challengers in Salinas, Winnetka and Tallahassee this year aswell as reaching the last 32 of Indian Wells earlier this year. So he clearly thrives in America.

All in all a dcecent effort from James and here's hoping he can have a good USO qualies.

Serving was better 2nd set, but just hope he can manage to stay in at least the 50's for both sets

mjd · Challenger qualifying

Strange stats
Aces BD 2 - JW 14
1st serve pts BD 82% JW 92%
1st retun pts BD 8% JW 18%
The killer -
2nd serve pts BD 87% JW 50 %
2nd return pts BD 50% JW only 13% !

So it seems Dabul's 2nd serve won the match for him.

British_is_Best · County player

Speaks volumes for the progress Ward has made recently that many people (myself included) saw him as having a really good shot at winning up against a top 100 player. Looks like one poor service game in each set cost him and the inability to trouble Dabul on serve. No reason to think though that he shouldn't do very well at the USQ with a decent draw, probably our best hope of a Qualifier in my view

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Things not looking too clever for the top seeds in the doubles at the moment: Flemski 2-5* in the first set.

Slightly better news for Bloomers & Craig Schwartz, who I presume are in the MD as alternates for Capdeville & Dabul, as they're currently also on court playing the fourth seeds, Adam Hubble & Harsh Mankad (AUS/IND): 6-4 3-6! Hope they can pull a rabbit out of the hat in the MTB...

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
Slightly better news for Bloomers & Craig Schwartz, who I presume are in the MD as alternates for Capdeville & Dabul, as they're currently also on court playing the fourth seeds, Adam Hubble & Harsh Mankad (AUS/IND): 6-4 3-6! Hope they can pull a rabbit out of the hat in the MTB...

No good: 7-10. cry

They had a couple of mini-breaks, but couldn't capitalise on them. hmm

First set down the pan 2-6 for Flemski. cry

2-1* in the second. Time for the boys to get their act together methinks...

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
Things not looking too clever for the top seeds in the doubles at the moment: Flemski 2-5* in the first set.

Beginning to look as though they may have steadied the ship, for a while at least: 4-1* in the second...

helki · Futures qualifying

Stircrazy wrote:

Stircrazy wrote:
Things not looking too clever for the top seeds in the doubles at the moment: Flemski 2-5* in the first set.
Beginning to look as though they may have steadied the ship, for a while at least: 4-1* in the second...

Let's hope so! They could do with a decent run here.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Second set in the bag by 6-3. smile

Now for the MTB...

Smidster · Challenger level

Early MB in the MTB 3-1*

helki · Futures qualifying

Mini break and hold their own. Don't c**k it up now boys. *3-0.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Phew! *mops brow* They take the MTB by 10-4 & go through to meet R'n'R (Rajeev Ram & Bobby Reynolds) in the QF. smile