Week 34 - Challenger ($50K) - Astana, Kazakhstan - Hard

steven · Tennis legend

RE: Week 34 - Challenger ($50K) - Astana, Kazakhstan - Hard

indiana · Tennis legend

Again, this is just great to see from Jamie.

His last challenger semi final appearance ( at Knoxville in November 2007 ) coincided with his CH of WR 211. And at the time of his last tournament before his illness ( March 2008 ) he was still ranked WR 225. The top 200 at least clearly beckoned.

Then came his illness and the long tournament drought that followed until he was ranked WR 982 in July 2009, and things must have looked very bleak.

But then that latter 2009 futures foray into Thailand and particularly Australia began the turnaround, although progress had been halted during last year mainly through not breaking through to QFs in challengers.

In these last few months however, after 29 challengers in a row ( losing at the R2 stage on 13 occasions ) without a QF, he's now developed a very good habit, reaching the QFs at least in 4 of his last 5 challengers, and great that the QF stage didn't have much time to become set as any new barrier.

I don't think Jamie likes barriers, he's in the mood to break them, and after all he's been through where he's been and come back from, go on lad !

-- Edited by indiana on Friday 26th of August 2011 12:10:53 PM

Drew · Aug 26, 2011

Keep it goin Baker boy

steven · Tennis legend

bet365 are giving Jamie about a 1 in 5 chance of beating the 2003 AO runner-up ... and streaming the match live.

steven · Tennis legend

I'm not watching the stream very closely (too much BOTB stuff to do now I've finally finished Friday's proper work) but Jamie lost the first 3 games though has held his own since then. Still just the one break but 3-5*, Schüttler serving for the set.

steven · Tennis legend

former Australian Open finalist serves for the 1st set ... and the Baker boy breaks him! Come on!

*4-5

steven · Tennis legend

... then follows it up with a love hold

steven · Tennis legend

... and has another break point in the next Schüttler service game, but the German holds on. *5-6

Jamie holds too so it's tiebreak time ... and now I am watching closely! LOL

steven · Tennis legend

First 3 points all go against serve

so it's 1-2*

1-3*
*2-3 m/b back

*3-3 lovely forehand winner

steven · Tennis legend

Jamie seems to have a tendency to leave his shots a bit short during rallies, but he's fighting hard, covering a lot of ground and, thus far, surviving!

4-3*
4-4*
*4-5
*5-5 unreturnable
*6-5 set point

YES!!

IamAlex · Social player

Horrible miss by the german hands Baker the set

steven · Tennis legend

Schüttler is suddenly playing like something else beginning with sch... - I hope he keeps it up

He's moonballing like a man possessed, presumably in the aim of breaking Baker's rhythm.

Jamie holds to love, so what's Rainer's next plan?!

8 points in a row for Baker (from 4-5 in the tiebreak), before RS makes it 15-15 in his next service game.

steven · Tennis legend

Jamie breaks to 15 - the former world no. 5 is there for the taking at the moment, though surely he's not going to continue like this.

steven · Tennis legend

Unsurprisingly, it was too good to last - Rainer steadies the ship a bit and Jamie starts to miss a bit more and gives up the break.

7-6(5) 2-1*

steven · Tennis legend

... only to get 15-40 on the German's serve again. Both bps are saved, but he eventually gets another one and takes it

7-6(5) *3-1