Week 29 - Challenger (€42,500) - Eskisehir, Turkey (Hard)

steven · Tennis legend

RE: Week 29 - Challenger (€42,500) - Eskisehir, Turkey (Hard)

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

First set in the bag by 7-5. smile

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

With an ace on SP, Dave wins the first set!!!

Now, hopefully, there's Sean or someone sitting in the stands who'll shout at him to carry on and HIT the blinkin' ball - it's hard when your 'go-to' game is obviously cautious - you need a coach or someone to keep you to the game plan.

But I'm not knocking the man, winning the first set against the number 5 seed WR162 - brilliant! Now onwards and upwards . . .

RJA · Hall of fame

korriban wrote:
Coup Droit wrote:
With an ace on SP, Dave wins the first set!!!

Now, hopefully, there's Sean or someone sitting in the stands who'll shout at him to carry on and HIT the blinkin' ball - it's hard when your 'go-to' game is obviously cautious - you need a coach or someone to keep you to the game plan.

But I'm not knocking the man, winning the first set against the number 5 seed WR162 - brilliant! Now onwards and upwards . . .
Yes brilliant. But at 2-2, we are now bordering on full scale "pushing" from Dave which either results in a Swiss error (as Chiudinelli comes forward to attack) or Dave tamely half hitting into the net......if he wins, he wins, BUT......
.....and I'll guarantee it's not being done on purpose. How tall is Mr Rice....6'3? 6'4? Surely power ought to be an asset.

Aside from his serve Dave has never been a powerful striker of the ball. Even when he plays aggressively he tends to rely on subtlety and variety as opposed to brute force.

korriban · Challenger level

RJA. I'm sure you are right, but in the third game of the match he was being VERY aggressive, even on return, and hitting deeply with considerable power (even if not at the levels of pure power players). He won the return game to love.

He's now a break down with Mr Ch serving for the second set and it's the same story. More power, more aggression, deeper......

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Second set down the pan by 3-6. cry

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Great news to wake up to and chuffed to bits for Ed.

He had such a great start to the year but has been a bit off the boil recently. Let's hope this is not just a flash in the pan, but the start of another good run of results.

A QF v Ricey would be tremendous for both, but Chiudinelli has just evened things up at 1 set all. Come on Ricey.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

korriban wrote:

How tall is Mr Rice....6'3? 6'4? Surely power ought to be an asset.

177 cm, according to Tennislive.co.uk, so "only" about 5'10" .

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Shame - Dave loses the second set 6-3, despite having a break-back point.

He obviously isn't a power player, as you say, RJA, (all very top-half of his body - no legs) but he does have a tendency to get way too defensive, taking the ball practically behind him, flicking it, leaning backwards, or just shunting it forwards. Don't know about this game in particular but it's obviously pretty close. Dave's serve obviously gives him a lot of comfortable points so hopefully if that holds up he's got every chance in the third.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Fantastic result for Ed. Would love it if Dave could hang in and pinch the final set.

RJA · Hall of fame

Stircrazy wrote:
korriban wrote:

How tall is Mr Rice....6'3? 6'4? Surely power ought to be an asset.
177 cm, according to Tennislive.co.uk, so "only" about 5'10" .

There is absolutely no way that he is only 5' 10". He is easily over 6'

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

RJA wrote:
Stircrazy wrote:
korriban wrote:

How tall is Mr Rice....6'3? 6'4? Surely power ought to be an asset.
177 cm, according to Tennislive.co.uk, so "only" about 5'10" .
There is absolutely no way that he is only 5' 10". He is easily over 6'

They've got him down as 66kg too. I know he's not a stocky guy but 66kg is feather weight ! I think those are figures when he was 14 years old . . .

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

The end may well be nigh: 3-4* in the decider. cry

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

But he breaks back (partly thanks to a very nice DF from Marco on BP!)

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
But he breaks back (partly thanks to a very nice DF from Marco on BP!)

Good for him! smile I like being proved wrong like that! wink