Week 28 - France F7 ($15,000+H) - Bourg-en-Bresse (Clay)

steven · Tennis legend

Week 28 - France F7 ($15,000+H) - Bourg-en-Bresse (Clay)

steven · Tennis legend

L32: (8) Oli Golding WR 514 beat (Q) Franck Pepe (FRA) WR 893 (CH 612 in 2012) by 6-3 3-6 7-5

L16: (8) Oli Golding WR 514 v Constant Lestienne (FRA) WR 666

Lestienne ended a 5-match losing streak today which included a defeat by Alex Ward in Blois qualifying, though that was a very close match.

-- Edited by steven on Tuesday 9th of July 2013 05:31:31 PM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Oli has won the first set 6-3 but was a break down in the second but has just re-broke.

korriban · Challenger level

He lost it 3-6. 7 DFs so far.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Oli eventually avoids squeaky culo time with by breaking to take the match : 6-3 3-6 7-5

steven · Tennis legend

Oli: "Hot physical 3hr battle today! Sneaked it 75 in the 3rd! High level match! Had chances to win easier but stuck with it! #alloveragain2moro"

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Well done to Oli - Franck is no slouch and has been playing very well recently. Oli will be up against it again tomorrow because Lestienne is no mean player either.

It is definitely pretty hot at the moment. Luckily for Oli, who may well be feeling the effects, Constant alos had a three set match today, and two sets of doubles. Last man standing . . .

paulisi · Tennis legend

Oli 5-2 down first set.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

And loses the first set by 3-6. cry

The Magician Santoro · Top national player

Oli goes down 6-3, 6-2. Cue the Oli onslaught from the usual suspects....

Keyser Soze · Newbie

I see Oli lost again!!!
This is utterly pathetic why doesn't he stop whingeing grow up and play tennis... unprofessional... undedicated... disappointing... tweeting...

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I thought today would be tough, especially as he'd had such a problem getting past Pepe.

Constant has had some good results this year (but no more than his WR would imply).

There's no onslaught from me, the result was simply more of the same - not too bad but disappointing overall.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

I think another factor that should be considered here is that clay is definitely not Oli's best surface. I think his game is far better suited to the faster surfaces.

It seems quite clear that he is sticking to clay as part of a strategy to develop his all round game and given that fact, it wouldn't surprise me if he were trying to change a few things technically as well.

Many of us on here were praising the decision by Kyle and his coach earlier in the year because they decided that his development as a player was more important than the quest for maximum ranking points and instant ranking rises. I think we should give Oli the same support at this stage as my impression is that he is following a similar approach. If he were after quick ranking points, I have no doubt he would be playing the grass court season in the UK right now.

We need to be patient, however hard that is at times.

TomTraubert · Futures level

ha ha!!! Keyser Soze very good! X-D

steven · Tennis legend

Yes, no hiding the fact that this is another disappointing result, but at least he's trying to grind it out on the clay instead of taking the easier options available, he deserves some credit for that.

Worth noting too that in Alex Ward's 12-1 run in clay court Challenger & ATP qualies since the start of June, Oli is the only player who has beaten him ... and funnily enough, the only player to get really close to beating him in qualies during that run was Lestienne - Alex beat him 7-5 in the 3rd in Blois.