Week 31 - Challenger (€42,500 + H) - Segovia, Spain (Hard)

The Magician Santoro · Top national player

RE: Week 31 - Challenger (€42,500 + H) - Segovia, Spain (Hard)

The Magician Santoro · Top national player

Alex eats ups Busta's 2nd serve, steps in forehand cross court, then backhand cross court and Busta hits wide. 0-15

2nd serve Alex returns, Busta's return clips the net, Alex goes for the delicate drop shot, Busta gets there but easy volley for Alex 0-30.

2nd serve, Alex caught off guard from the return and baloons wide 15-30

2nd serve, Alex never really in point, strong backhand from Busta and Alex puts wide 30-30

Good serve, but after a couple of shots, Busta hits a great forehand down the line where Alex is nowhere near 40-30.

2nd serve, Alex hits a fierce forehand to the corner but Busta hits a great passing backhand cross court game

6-6

The Magician Santoro · Top national player

Alex 2nd serve, rallies fairly central, Alex skews wide, wind is ridiculous just now 0-1*

Alex goes wide with a backhand 0-2*

Wind is lowing against Alex, really unfortunate just now, he goes long with a central forehand *0-3

Wind proving to be too much just now, it's basically all favouring busta as coming against Alex, so can hardly get it back into play nets a forehand *0-4

Alex on the board, Busta unforced error as he loops a forehand long and wide 1-4*

The Magician Santoro · Top national player

Ward nets a forehand trying to go cross court from low Busta slice 1-5*

Switching sides, wind now with Alex

2nd serve, good rally then Alex smashes a forehand down the line for a winner *2-5

2nd serve, exchange of backhands, Alex just goes wide with a backhand *2-6

1st serve unreturnable 3-6*

Alex goes long with a forehand GSM Busta

wolf · Tennis legend

SF: (2) Ken Skupski & Neal Skupski CR 312 beat Ariel Behar & Carlos Poch (URU/ESP) CR 533 6-3 6-4

That's their 3rd challenger final in 4 attempts and they are 18-2 as a team.

Spectator · All-time great

Mr (K) Skupski is defending over 1/3 of his points between now and end September, so these wins are very helpful. Partnership looks good! Well done to Skupskis and good fight from Mr Ward.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

The other Jamie got closer, but not close enough!

SF: (3) Mikhail Elgin & Uladzimir Ignatik (RUS/BLR) CR 339 defeated (1) Jamie Delgado & Frank Moser (GER) CR 182 by 6-4 6-7(4) [10-3] bleh

ergo

Final: (3) Mikhail Elgin & Uladzimir Ignatik (RUS/BLR) CR 339 vs (2) Ken Skupski & Neal Skupski CR 312

so no divided loyalties for the final.

RJA · Hall of fame

That will almost certainly see Jamie drop out of the top 100

RJA · Hall of fame

Ken and Neal won the first set 6-3.

On serve at 2-2 in the second.

RJA · Hall of fame

Elgin and Ignatik took the second set 7-6(4)

A match tie break it is.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

At least we had one decent win today - Ken & Neal s:

Final: (2) Ken Skupski & Neal Skupski CR 312 defeated (3) Mikhail Elgin & Uladzimir Ignatik (RUS/BLR) CR 339 by 6-3 6-7(4) [10-6] smile

RJA · Hall of fame

Another significant rankings boost for Neal while Ken covers his 90 points from last year's ATP Washington.

steven · Tennis legend

Yes, Neal should be in the top 200 on Monday - and the brothers have now won 19 out of 21 matches together, including of course the last 8 in a row, all in Challengers.

Allan94 · Lower Club Player

At this rate if they can take this form into bigger challengers after the us open i can see them sneaking into the Aussie open together

spud · Challenger qualifying

steven wrote:
Yes, Neal should be in the top 200 on Monday - and the brothers have now won 19 out of 21 matches together, including of course the last 8 in a row, all in Challengers.

And of their last 8 wins at challenger level, today's final was the first time they've lost serve. That's quite an achievement!