Week 25 - Challenger (€30,000+H) - Milan, Italy (Clay)

Priesty · Challenger level

RE: Week 25 - Challenger (€30,000+H) - Milan, Italy (Clay)

Jack Buxton · Club Coach

quite the rollercoaster......oli loses 2nd set 6-1 but breaks early in 3rd *2-0

Priesty · Challenger level

Now lost his break. 2-*1...

Priesty · Challenger level

Now back in command, 3-1*....come on Oli!!

Jack Buxton · Club Coach

nice one oli...2nd on centre tomorrow oli v alex....should be fun....

paulisi · Tennis legend

Difficult to call, but 3pts for the winner

freerider · Futures level

any lucky loser slots in the main draw?

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I think (injury aside) Alex will be in the top 300 in the next months to come. He has zero points to defend and seems to be hitting a bit of good form.

I also think that for guys who have a 'big' game (as I believe that Alex does - haven't seem him, so going off reports) but for those guys, they often come good a little later - it's all a question of shot selection, experience, learning how to balance your game and, often, getting a bit more mobility. Also, if they're naturally big and strong at 19, they're big and strong trebled by the time they're 25 and the difference can really be felt.

(Of course, Goodall, and others, have a 'big' game and never managed to really make the next step so I could well be proved wrong!!!!).

Alex is only 23 (or still 22?) - there's time.

Oliver has no excuse not to make it. I hope he does. He has plenty of time. But it reminds me a bit of that school game - this year, next year, somtime, never . . .

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Monday 17th of June 2013 10:20:58 AM

korriban · Challenger level

Oli the better player IMO first set, but not much in it. Solid in general, but all rather predictable stuff from both, very little variety, serving also not a weapon from either. You know where the ball is going every shot - no surprises.

Oli went walkabout for the first 4 games of the second set.....great winners followed by large dollops of sloppiness and UEs. First screams and thrown racquet of the match. He should have also been called for slowing down the game immediately thereafter, but the umpire let it go. Really awful. No rhyme nor reason for the massive mental lapse.....

Alex serving at *4-0.....done very little to get to that position.

-- Edited by korriban on Monday 17th of June 2013 12:05:01 PM

Spectator · All-time great

Leaving aside whether serving first in a set is an advantage or not (a topic on which I seem to recall quite a bit of discussion at some point ... without recalling the conclusion), yes, M. Hoferlin is with the two young men, so someone will be aware of what is going on. From what I have heard, I will give up my neutrality and root for Mr Ward (probably would have anyway, if pushed, if I'm honest. Like several others on this board, I admire Mr Golding's talent without appreciating his temperament.)

-- Edited by Spectator on Monday 17th of June 2013 12:18:24 PM

korriban · Challenger level

Alex 3-2*. Second racquet throw.

A string of Alex UEs one after the other. Now 3-4*

-- Edited by korriban on Monday 17th of June 2013 12:45:52 PM

korriban · Challenger level

Alex vs Oli. Hope to have the time to watch some of it this morning.

One of these player's career to date suggests he is likely to be a solid 300-500 player for years to come, never higher, never lower - in the Dan Smethurst ranking band. Unlikely to have been awarded any big WCs if he had chosen to play grass back home. No big tournament performances to really shout about in the last 18 months, despite a few good one-off results (especially in recent weeks). Unlikely to ever breakthrough to the next level, but you never know, I guess.

The other is the 2011 US Open Junior Champion in his second full pro season, fully funded to the maximum level via Team Aegon for 3 years straight, given MDWCs into the Nottingham Challenger, Queen's and Wimbledon last year, training with Lendl & Murray over the winter, tipped as a top 50-100 player of the future.

Where's the smart money going?

I'm not too smart, so I'm saying Alex.

Jack Buxton · Club Coach

Bet365 couldnt split them last night when i looked at the odds.....

chavkev · Intermediate Club Player

Alex, probably in two even. (I may feel free to edit this if the unexpected happens! )

Spectator · All-time great

Hmm. I think Mr Ward has some performances that suggest the capacity to go higher than 300. Sorry that the two have to play each other in the FQR; would like to see both do well.