I do hope Josh G blogs via his website with some perspectives on his straight set loss to Richard Gabb today, which comes off the back of a very slow start to the year at the first 4 GB Futures events.

From memory, I think Richard has been on the tour 2-3 years and his best performance to date is a $10k SF, just the one. There have been a few posts on this site from people who have watched him, describing him as very steady and competent, with a nice looking game, but without the weapons to ever really take anyone apart.

Josh's blog has given a real flavour for the choices and challenges he faces, both on and off the court. He is working hard on fitness, and most significantly making big changes to his gameplan that will help him succeed at a higher level (presumably a much more positive and aggressive approach), with these first 8 GB $10ks essentially used to consolidate/maintain his ranking level, and "bed in" his new approach, ahead of an overseas assault at bigger tournaments pre Grass Season.

I can understand where he's coming from, but results aren't going his way. I wonder whether his continued presence on the British Tour circuit, whilst understandable from a rent perspective, may be hindering his plans from a tennis perspective? If anyone has been watching these first few tournaments, does his gamestyle genuinely seem different from before?

And to add to SC's earlier post:

R1: (WC) Jack Findel-Hawkins & Alexander Gasson UNR beat (3) Josh Goodall & James Marsalek WR 999 6-1 6-2
R1: Neil Pauffley & Marcus Willis WR 2090 beat Damiano di Ienno & Francesco Vilardo (ITA/ITA) WR 2758 6-3 6-1
R1: Lewis Burton & Tom Farquharson UNR beat (ALT) Antonio Mastrelia & Jan Zednik (ITA/CZE) UNR 6-3 6-2
R1: (2) Frederik Nielsen (DEN) & Josh Ward-Hibbert WR 947 beat (WC) Harry Meehan & Stefan Sterland-Markovic WR 2300 6-3 6-3



QF: (1) David Rice & Sean Thornley WR 464 v Marc Ferrigno & Timo Nieminen (DEN/FIN) WR 2165
QF: (WC) Jack Findel-Hawkins & Alexander Gasson UNR v Neil Pauffley & Marcus Willis WR 2090
QF: Lewis Burton & Tom Farquharson UNR v (3) Ed Corrie & Neal Skupski WR 1131
QF: Nicolas Rosenzweig & Francois-Arthur Vibert (FRA/FRA) v (2) Frederik Nielsen (DEN) & Josh Ward-Hibbert WR 947

Neil P. What's up in 2013? He hasn't picked up where he left off in 2012, thats for sure.

Ed now down a set. This will be interesting, with his new found matchplay toughness: can he turn it around?

Edit: Yes he can!! Not easy at all, many of his own service games under threat, but once again when either player could have won it, Ed actually did win it. Once again, has he found the secret of winning when (probably) not at his best?