R1: (1) Dustin Brown (GER) & Jamie Delgado WR 142 vs BYE R1: Adham El-Effendi (USA) & Darren Walsh WR 683 vs Andreas Beck & Martin Fischer (GER/AUT) WR 854
The boys are in different quarters of the top half of the draw.
-- Edited by Stircrazy on Sunday 14th of April 2013 02:05:33 PM
For teenage "next generation" player spotters, this is a great draw to watch.
1. Jiri Vesely, 19, Oli's erstwhile juniors doubles partner and former junior #1 is in the MD by ranking. He just won his first ever CH tournament in Turkey last week, rising to #163, the top teenager in the world.
2. Dominic Thiem, 19, erstwhile Orange Bowl champion and junior #4 qualified for the MD, his second CH tournament in a row. Now ranked #263 in the world, and recently beat Oli easily in Oli's first or second tournament back from injury (it was also Dominic's first or second tournament back after a 2 month injury)
3. Gianluigi Quinzi. Recently turned 17 years old, the current junior #2. Already ranked #495 over a year younger than Kyle (wow!), which by the way makes him just the 28th ranked male player in Italy!! WC
4. Filippo Baldi. Recently turned 17 years old, the current junior #6. WC
PLUS
A Certain Pablo Carreno-Busta lurks in the draw as the ultimate under-ranked ringer. Not bad as the unseeded "undercard" for a 30k Challenger.
-- Edited by korriban on Monday 15th of April 2013 01:41:30 PM
3. Gianluigi Quinzi. Recently turned 17 years old, the current junior #2. Already ranked #495 over a year younger than Kyle (wow!), which by the way makes him just the 28th ranked male player in Italy!! WC
4. Filippo Baldi. Recently turned 17 years old, the current junior #6. WC
Those two are playing doubles together &, although unranked, have just taken out the third seeds, Bednarek & Siljeström (WR 200), by 1-6 5-7 [10-8], while their compatriots, Marco Cecchinato & Stefano Napolitano (WR 1254), did the same to the fourth seeds, Ignatik & Kowalczyk (WR 284) by 3-6 6-3 [10-8]. Only the first proper day of competition & already only the top two seeded pairs left! The rest of the field had better beware the natives! Ominously, Baldi & Quinzi lie in wait for Messrs Walsh & El-Effendi if they get past Beck & Fischer...
Isn't Napolitano still a junior as well? I'm useless at keeping track of people's ages and years, but I seem to recall his playing junior tournaments quite recently.
Isn't Napolitano still a junior as well? I'm useless at keeping track of people's ages and years, but I seem to recall his playing junior tournaments quite recently.
He is (just turned 18), but in the 40s junior rankings, so not quite in the same league as Quinzi and Baldi at this stage
Thanks, Korriban. You inspired me to go check. Looks to be a very strong doubles player, if not as strong as Baldi in singles. (Quinzi looks as if he's in a class by himself)
With my galactic knowledge of world tennis, suggested we follow this Challenger to watch the creme-de-la-creme of up and coming men's tennis.
Jiri Vesely - won in round 1
And errrm.....
Thiem - lost
Quinzi - lost
Baldi - lost
Carreno-Busta - lost (that's a 2 match losing streak now.....shocker)
Napolitano - lost
I was only trying to be complimentary towards them, but once again I appear to have jinxed almost the entire lot, proving once again that I actually have only a microscopic knowledge of the game.
If it's any consolation, I think GB will lose their Fed Cup match in Argentina this week, which will come as a massive relief to Judy and the players.
Great combination of humility and humour, Korriban! (Don't suppose you'd like to opine that Mr Murray will lose in the 3rd round of Monte Carlo, would you?) Jesting aside, it seems as if with the younger players, it's all a bit uneven, so it's difficult to predict.