Week 23 - Challenger (€64,000) - Nottingham, UK (grass)

freerider · Futures level

RE: Week 23 - Challenger (€64,000) - Nottingham, UK (grass)

korriban · Challenger level

The scoreline in his R1 match this week against Bemelmans says Ed lost to the player ranked around 100 in 2 sets, as one might have expected. However he served for BOTH sets at 5-3, then lost the next 4 games! So he's obviously competitive at this level, and will be disappointed he didnt at least take it to 3 or even win. The Belgian beat a seed in his R2 match and is a good bet to reach the SF now, so he is clearly playing well too.

No great weapons, perhaps, but pretty solid and hard to beat. Wish he had a big serve!

korriban · Challenger level

Watching Mr Klein playing Dan yesterday, I was struck by a few things.

1. How poorly he was playing. Credit must go to Dan for giving him a tennis lesson, but even allowing for poor form I couldnt understand how Klein had ever got inside the top 200. The gulf in class was enormous.

2. His time wasting and slowing the game was appalling. He was warned and then give a serve violation penalty for his slow play, but his worst problem was preventing the server from serving when ready. Dan was kept waiting countless times, particularly into the ad court, and especially on big points. Don't like this one bit.

3. He was quick to argue with the chair umpire about his penalty on serve, then continued the conversation for some time, requiring the referee to appear. Dan made me laugh by returning to his chair and taking some liquid and freshening up casually while this was happening...,.as though he was waiting for this to happen. Klein's slow play was irrefutable. There was no justification for berating the umpire and involving the referee.

4. The crowd were very fair, which is excellent. And Dan was very fair too.

RJA · Hall of fame

korriban wrote:
2. His time wasting and slowing the game was appalling. He was warned and then give a serve violation penalty for his slow play, but his worst problem was preventing the server from serving when ready. Dan was kept waiting countless times, particularly into the ad court, and especially on big points. Don't like this one bit.
3. He was quick to argue with the chair umpire about his penalty on serve, then continued the conversation for some time, requiring the referee to appear. Dan made me laugh by returning to his chair and taking some liquid and freshening up casually while this was happening...,.as though he was waiting for this to happen. Klein's slow play was irrefutable. There was no justification for berating the umpire and involving the referee.
4. The crowd were very fair, which is excellent. And Dan was very fair too.

I agree. I for one am very supportive of the harder line that is been taken on time wasting. There does need to be some flexibility after very long points but that wasn't the issue yesterday and Klein was almost constantly taking too much time before big points. Must be a decent chance that he will have been fined for his outburst towards both the umpire and the referee.

I got the feeling that most of the crowd didn't know who he was or of his reputation.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Thanks for that Korriban and RJA.

I didn't manage to see any of the match and was thrilled for the result - even without his reputation, I wouldn't be very pro Klein yet - he hasn't had time to 'grow into one's affections' (to put it mildly!) - indeed, Norrie falls into the same camp, although he'll get there a lot quicker.

However, coupled with the history of Klein and a strong support for Dan, even with his little blips, I was VERY pro Dan for this match. And everyone said he played exceptionally well.

However, if you're now adding that Klein was time-wasting (for no reason - agree with RJA - the umpire should be flexible where necessary) and being objectionable about it, then he's blown it.

alex03maccy · Grand Slam Champion

Yes I was all for giving Klein a chance but his manner is just appalling. The good thing to come from it was Dan being totally unflustered by it and maintaining his excellent focus. Leon was there and was very pro-Dan as you'd expect but maybe confirms there isn't much of a relationship between Klein and the LTA.

Referring to RJA's comment about the crowd I would agree, an old boy sitting near me asked if he was Austrian and another was asking Neil P and a few other guys about it. Not surprising considering how very Australian he sounds.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

alex03maccy wrote:
Yes I was all for giving Klein a chance but his manner is just appalling. The good thing to come from it was Dan being totally unflustered by it and maintaining his excellent focus. Leon was there and was very pro-Dan as you'd expect but maybe confirms there isn't much of a relationship between Klein and the LTA.

Referring to RJA's comment about the crowd I would agree, an old boy sitting near me asked if he was Austrian and another was asking Neil P and a few other guys about it. Not surprising considering how very Australian he sounds.

Curious, isn't it? You'd think Klein would be on his 'best behaviour', playing practically his first British tournament/British player/British crowd - AND in front of the LTA big wig.

But obviously not . . .

And, yes, very good of Dan to stay focused and not let the brat-ishness of his opponent get to him.

korriban · Challenger level

I'm sure we've seen a lot worse than Mr Klein yesterday, but the thing for me is those little niggly things designed to throw or irritate an opponent.

I often wonder about, say, the top 10 men and women and who you would trust over the other side of the net to call a close shot in or out, rather than relying on the chair umpire. For the most part, I'd say the Top 10 men would be completely honest and reliable (I have my doubts about Nadal, based on some of his antics and gamesmanship, but I may be being unfair). The question is, would you trust Mr Klein with a line call........and my answer at this point after yesterday would be a resounding no.

Interestingly, my impression of the Top 10 women players would be rather mixed with regard to the above. Could you rely on Serena, Maria, Vika to call their lines honestly if the correct call would go against them? I've seen Caroline deliberately point to the wrong ball mark on a few occasions to get a call reversed? And below the top 10, umpires now pretty much ignore Jankovic when she challenges umpire line calls near her, as she is almost 100% "reliable" to be unreliable.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I've been at Seniors 'ladies' matches, at quite high level (but not with a chair umpire), where the amount of flagrant cheating is just unbelievable. And it escalates - she called my ball out, so I'll call her ball out, until balls that are 12 inches inside the line are getting called out. AND this is on clay!

But, yes, Mr. Klein would most certainly not win the 'fair-play' award. And he lost - so the moral is . . . .

RJA · Hall of fame

korriban wrote:
I'd say the Top 10 men would be completely honest and reliable

Well Djokovic showed himself to dishonest against Wawrinka at the Australian Open. On a huge, huge point in the fifth set (break point at something like 4-4) Wawrinka crunched a return onto the baseline and it was called long. Djokovic pointed to the ground to say that he agreed with the call (the umpire also agreed with the call) and so Stan didn't challenge. He should have, as hawk eye confirmed that the ball was good.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Dan Evans breaks at 4-4 to go 5-4 up and will be serving for the first set.

(Nice percentage tennis from both guys).

PaulM · Tennis legend

scottie1 wrote:
Yes I agree with you paul but if that was rigidly applied only Andy and Wardy would be in the singles. For someone like me who goes to Wimbledon to support British players I would be disgusted if only two players in the draw.

If that's the case then so be it. The players aren't good enough to meet the criteria. No one but themselves to blame for not performing well enough over a 12 month period.

Im the same, I want to see loads of Brits there, but I think the objective cut off criteria is necessary and should be upheld, as hard as it may be not to see as many guys in the draw as we'd all like.

-- Edited by PaulM on Friday 7th of June 2013 09:45:57 PM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

But broken back . . .

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Dan played fine (few horrible DFs) but Ebden played a clever, solid set and took the tie-break easily.

wolf · Tennis legend

Dan lost 7-6 6-2