FQR: Dan Cox WR 516 lost to (q7) Adrien Bossel (SUI) WR 397 by 7-6(6) 6-2
FQR: Josh Ward-Hibbert 869 beat Jordan Kerr (AUS) UNR by 7-6(3) 7-5
FQR: (q6) Brydan Klein WR 275 beat (q3) Dzmitry Zhyrmont (BLR) WR 239 by 3 & 2
FQR: George Coupland WR 998 beat (q8) Neil Pauffley WR 477 by 1 & 2

L32: (WC) Dan Smethurst WR 372 v Ruben Bemelmans (BEL) WR 146 (CH 108 last Oct)
L32: (WC) Josh Milton WR 368 v Yuichi Sugita (JPN) WR 135 (CH 116 last Nov)
L32: (WC) Dave Rice WR 573 v Bradley Klahn (USA) WR 184 (CH 182 in Apr)
L32: (Q) George Coupland WR 998 v Michael Berrer (GER) WR 137 (CH 42 in 2010)
L32: (WC) Richard Gabb WR 668 v Steve Johnson (USA) WR 130 (CH 127 in Apr)
L32: (Q) Brydan Klein WR 275 v Somdev Devvarman (IND) WR 188 (CH 62 in 2011)
L32: (Q) Josh Ward-Hibbert 869 v Donald Young (USA) WR 153 (CH 38 in 2012)

Anyone know the whereabouts of Marcus Willis and Tom Farquharson?

Neither have featured at either Nottingham Challenger, Queen's or anywhere else overseas for that matter in the last couple of weeks. I presume injuries, like Mr Marsalek....but that's just a guess.

RJA wrote:

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Bob the Ball Boy wrote:

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not sure about farquharson but willis was at french league so missed qualies and didnt get given a wc

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He has prioritised playing in the French league over over playing challenger qualifying (or ATP qualifying) on grass at home events ??????

Obviously I don't know the full facts but at face value that looks like a quite simply awful decision. With Marcus's game he could have done some serious damage here.

-- Edited by RJA on Monday 10th of June 2013 08:48:48 AM

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I don't know the full facts either but, assuming the normal set-up, Marcus will have a contract with the club. This will 'oblige' him to play the national league matches. These contracts can be pretty lucrative, and if he wants it to be re-newed next year (or indeed to get a contract at any other club), he has to respect it.

On top of which, Marcus is the number one player for his club (Capdenac), which is in the third division and yesterday was the last day of the pool league matches - Capdenac needed to win in order to finish first in the pool and get to play-off to go up to the second division.

Capdenac won the match 4-3, with Marcus winning his singles so it was very close and he was obviously needed.

The score sheet states that in the doubles (a league match has 5 singles and 2 doubles), Marcus and his partner were 7-6, 2-1 up in the match and they retired. No idea if someone was injured, or who. Or maybe the other doubles had finished and the result of the overall match was decided so Marcus and partner just quit because it was getting late and it didn't matter (which is quite common).

NB Marcus won all his other matches too, including one player with the same ranking and one (very close three set match) higher ranked player.

Difficult to know what the right decision is - Marcus may well have signed up when his ranking was a lot lower at the start of the year, not thinking it would be an issue. Maybe he regreats it.

But some players also love the team matches - there's a huge buzz, like playing Davis Cup.

If Capdenac were playing for the play-offs, and Marcus was captain as their best player, he might have far rather preferred to play with his mates, his team, with 100 people going mad and cheering, than 'just' do another individual tournament.

Spectator wrote:

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Thanks, CD, for setting the scene! If he has a contract, he has a contract - and as you say, he has to do the honourable thing for his team. And given that he doesn't get funding, no one can really protest his decision to seek out funding elsewhere. Hope that now the season has ended, he can do well here, too.

-- Edited by Spectator on Monday 10th of June 2013 09:28:45 AM

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Well, unfortunately (or fortunately), the season isn't finished for him because the play-offs to go to the next division (which Capdenac are now in) will be next weekend, of the weekend after (not absolutely sure) and it'll be, potentially, several rounds.

Going forward, Marcus should maybe think of changing club. I know he's been at Capdenac for at least 3 years but the divisions DN 1B, 2, 3, and 4 (the top division is split into three) all play their league matches in May and June.

Whereas the DN 1A and the 1ere division (the absolute top) play their matches in November and December (precisely so that the top players can play but also be available for the normal individual season).

Lisa W. and Naomi B. and Anne K. all played French league tennis but for teams in the top division so they were playing in France last autumn.

Marcus is probably not quite good enough (ranked highly enough) to play 1ere division but he should just about make the DN1A teams. But, of course, it's a question of business - most of the DN1A teams have 5 players ranked higher than Marcus. They need a few replacements so they'll pay for that, but not very much. He may well be offered a financially better contract if he is a key member of a slightly lower team than a stand-in for a better team. But now he'll have to play in May/June.

It can't be easy to know what to do for the best.

PS Just seen the above comments - YES!! the ballkids are really struggling. I know they're only kids and all that but some are all over the place and seem physically incapable of standing still!