Reports from the brit's quarter finals from yesterday:
[3] Alex Bogdanovic GBR d [6] Daniel Yoo KOR 6-3 6-2: The 26-year-old third seed in the spiffy pastel purple shirt serves at 0-15, the match just underway. Yoo sends one long on the second point (I thought I heard ball singing Yoo Send Me on its way out, too). Love-thirty, intones the chair ump. Whats that? asks Boggo. Fifteen-all, corrects the chair ump. Good thing for the Londoner, too, as he has to save break points before eventually holding.
Dan Smethurst GBR d [5] Nick Monroe USA 6-1 6-4: Smethurst, cruising impressively and putting away every shot in the book, comes up against his most unyielding opponents thus far on the day: Mother Nature and the Supervisor. A persistent rain begins to fall, and the Supe gives the signal to keep the players on the court even as play is halted. Smethurst begins to walk off court anyway.
Stay on the court, the supervisor orders, arms crossed. Im not going to sit there in the rain, Smethy says, still walking, thats ridiculous. STAY ON THE COURT! the supervisor boldly (and caps-lockedly) bellows. Can you at least get an umbrella? asks the player, halted in his tracks. Get him an umbrella! say the supe to another official, in much the same tone. And with that, the 20-year-old powers through another obstacle on the way to the semis.
I'm not surprised to read that Dan stood up the supervisor, but the Bogster standing up for himself on court ("Whats that?" asks Boggo), that's novel! (and welcome!)
Anyway, great that he's in the Final and finally adjusting to those US clay courts. Dan should be able to join him, but "should" doesn't always translate into "will".
__________________
GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
SF: (3) Alex Bogdanovic WR 290 beat (Q) Phillip Simmonds (USA) WR 569 by 6-1 7-6(6) SF: (SE) Dan Smethurst WR 495 beat Daniel Garza (MEX) WR 454 by 4 & 4
FI: (3) Alex Bogdanovic WR 290 v (SE) Dan Smethurst WR 495
H2H: 1-0, a 0 & 1 thrashing in Queen's qualifying last year, which I believe quite a few of you are at. I'd expect it to be a lot closer on clay, and with Dan seemingly improved on last year.
__________________
GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!