Week 32 - Challenger ($100,000) - Aptos, CA, USA (Hard)

thejester · Satellite level

RE: Week 32 - Challenger ($100,000) - Aptos, CA, USA (Hard)

huntley93 · Strong Club Player

anyone else getting annoyed on how the commentator pronounces presentation

SMC1809 · All-time great

Hopefully Dan will find himself in this sort of situation more often and sooner or later he'll take the title. You can sense a bit of anxiety when the finishing line is close, but this is just a manifestation of his desire to win. This latest loss will hopefully spur him on even more, and another $8500 will show him it will be worthwhile.

steven · Tennis legend

thejester wrote:
That's perhaps more disappointing than last week's was in truth. Dan looked in charge until the last few games of the 3rd where, as Bob says, Evo was holding on rather than taking control.
Still a great week, but you really felt that Dan could win this one today, and its not often you get a match where there are 40 points on offer for the win.

Yes, that's what I feel, though before the match I would have made Klahn the favourite. Such a pity Dan didn't close it out in two when he had the chance.

This comment on Twitter made me laugh:

"@Rellimj: @BritishTennis Could there have been an admin error and it's Bradley Klahn who's the new Brit not Brydan Klein ;)"

RJA · Hall of fame

I wasn't able to watch the match so can't comment too much. Obviously gutting for Dan to be so close yet miss out on the title again but lets be clear, two weeks ago we would have taken back to back finals without a second thought. Any disappointments from the last two weeks are massively outweighed by the huge number of positives.

steven · Tennis legend

Evo confirmed at WR 169 today - up 25 from last week's career high, up 79 in the last fortnight and up 128 so far this year

He won't drop too far (to about 180) when his Futures title points drop off next Monday.

stevemcqueen · Futures qualifying

It was a great spectacle, much thanks goes to the USTA for streaming it.

For much of the match, Dan was the better player. Overall, he won 97 of the 190 points to BK's 93. The tiebreak was a strange affair with so many points going against serve. We know there is an element of luck in TBs, it is not for nothing we call them squeeky culo time. In the final set, BK improved the accuracy and power of his serve. Dan's return often lacked the depth he achieved in the first two sets, putting him on the defensive. Overall, Dan must be happy with his week, though championship points before going onto lose in consecutive tournaments must surely be a record.

His confidence must be high going into the US Open. There is nobody in the draw he can't beat. If the odds are good, I may even place a wager.

Dan played 57 service games and hit 33 DFs this week. Oddly, the only DF that really hurt him was at the start of the TB in the final. I don't think he'll be as fortunate if/when he starts playing main tour events, so the 2nd serve is something he must improve. Through out the last two weeks, I've been impressed by the grit and mental fortitude he has displayed. What area of his game (apart from serve) do people think he should work on?

RJA · Hall of fame

stevemcqueen wrote:
Dan played 57 service games and hit 33 DFs this week. Oddly, the only DF that really hurt him was at the start of the TB in the final. I don't think he'll be as fortunate if/when he starts playing main tour events, so the 2nd serve is something he must improve. Through out the last two weeks, I've been impressed by the grit and mental fortitude he has displayed. What area of his game (apart from serve) do people think he should work on?

On the second serve I thick his biggest problem is that he doesn't have a reasonably safe second serve that he trusts not to go sailing back past him. Thus he frequently goes fairly big and fairly deep with his second serve, especially on big points. This does at times work well but at other times costs him dearly.

As for other areas to work on. There are no obviously glaring weaknesses, he is hitting his forehand far better than he has ever done, his backhand is pretty solid, he is good at net and his movement over the last two weeks has been outstanding. Therefore I would say that other than his serve his main priority is to find a greater degree of consistency and try and cut out the occasional lapses in concentration. Playing this aggressively is the right approach but it was always going to result in a few unforced errors. Hopefully in time he can minimise the errors

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I don;t know what others reckon but I think he could work on his top-spin backhand (mainly in terms of confidence)

He hits it well (nice technique, v, good timing, some crackers) but he uses the slice so much that it seems that he's not very confident in his top-spin one and shies away.
A bit more variation of pace and trajectory on the BH would cause a bit more bother to his opponents, I think.

Jan · Hall of fame

ah what a shame - but Dan's been doing really well just recently - hope he can continue the good work (and please cut down the DFs!)

paulisi · Tennis legend

Watch all of the match last night. Dan dominated the first set as Klahn, backhand and serve regularly went askew.

Fair play to Klahn though as he cut out the backhand errors and serve some very big first serves and gave Dan very little opportunity to break and the game became very tight.

I think Dan went into his shell a bit. Tended to chip service returns back into court and didn't really dominate from the back of the court like he has all week.

A fine couple of weeks and optimism that he can get a couple of wins in US open qualifiers and push his ranking even further toward the top 100.

I would be interested to see what his schedule is after the US open. Davis Cup and then a few weeks off training before some more challengers in Europe?

stevemcqueen · Futures qualifying

I'm not sure he'll choose to play European challengers - he probably won't make the cut for Orleans & Mons, despite his jump in the rankings. He has done very well on the west coast of America, so I bet he'll had back out there for Napa, Sacremento and Tiburon. I don't think the alternatives of Uzbekistan and Russia are really his cup of tea. Then that is pretty much the end of the season so he'll desrve a rest and some beer before preparations for Australia.

USO qualies will offer him a fantastic opportunity for points and prizes.

Am I right in thinking the season is finishing early this year? There doesn't seem to be anything going on at all in November and the start of December

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Dan was 12th alt for US open qualies.

7 Wcs above him now moved up to MD (don't recognise Altamirano)

So, Dan now 5th alt, I believe

(Couldn't find best thread, sorry)

But no QWC for Dan

Benoit Paire perhaps doubtful - lost v davydenko, didn;t sit down or drink at the changeovers during 9 games, wanted to lose asap supposedly, now back to France for medical tests.

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Tuesday 13th of August 2013 08:24:19 PM

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Tuesday 13th of August 2013 08:31:04 PM

steven · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
Dan was 12th alt for US open qualies.

7 Wcs above him now moved up to MD (don't recognise Altamirano)

So, Dan now 5th alt, I believe

(Couldn't find best thread, sorry)
But no QWC for Dan
Benoit Paire perhaps doubtful - lost v davydenko, didn;t sit down or drink at the changeovers during 9 games, wanted to lose asap supposedly, now back to France for medical tests.

I thought I put this on the week 34 entries thread earlier just after tweeting it but it's not there so maybe I didn't hit send! disbelief At least we agree on the number of players wink

Altamirano won the US 18U champs and got an automatic WC for that. I think I read that he is the first unseeded player ever to win that and has no ATP Ranking (not even an ITF junior ranking), though he has come through the odd 4-round qualifying draw in Futures only to go out in R1.

I think it would be unpredecented for there to be less than 5 withdrawals from the main draw and qualifying combined in the last few days.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Thanks Steven. Following your post and 10 mins googling, I am now all clued up on Altamirano !

Yes, 5 withdrawals must be a given, surely ?

NB If you believe the French press, you'd think that the 5 will come form the top French players singlehandedly - Simon is getting over whooping cough, Monfils has a twisted ankle, Paire newly injured again, and Tsonga (the most serious) still with his knee injury, w/o from Cincinatti and his coach saying he won't play the US unless he's managed to do 3 weeks solid training beforehand.

Of course, they may all turn up, limp on court, collect their cheques, and then just fly home again . . .

(PS Stating the obvious but please feel free to remove this post from here or re-post it elsewhere if it'd be better)