Week 33 - China F7 ($15,000) - Tianjin (hard)

steven · Tennis legend

Week 33 - China F7 ($15,000) - Tianjin (hard)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Now that's a name to conjure with . . ..

Shhh · Challenger level

Coup Droit wrote:
Now that's a name to conjure with . . ..

"Neil" ????

Shhh · Challenger level

Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul (THA) d. (5) Neil Pauffley 1-6 6-4 6-3

korriban · Challenger level

Shhh wrote:
Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul (THA) d. (5) Neil Pauffley 1-6 6-4 6-3

After Fitzy's relatively unsuccessful (although eventful for all the wrong reasons) solo tour of Vietnam futures last year, and Neil's solo tour of China so far this year, perhaps this should send a strong message out to our players.

......the draws may look easy on paper, but the extreme weather conditions, variable court and tournament standards, local challenges (food, hotels, travel, language, illness, culture) and travel costs make things VERY tough, I'd imagine. To then take on all of this completely on your own, without any other GB players to share the experience seems like a risk too far.

Has anyone ever cracked this successfully.......James Ward, I'd put in another category because he's a Challenger player with better quality tournaments, more hospitality provided and a group of regular international Europeans/N Americans he shares the load with every week. But to do this as a solo Futures player out in Asia......bold, perhaps, but not sure it's sane.

Shhh · Challenger level

I think James Auckland did okay in Asia as a solo traveller but I may well be remembering things wrong????? At the end of the day korriban, you raise a good point.

mikeyp · Junior player

I have lived in Hong Kong for the past 3 years, and honestly I would say the biggest challenge for them is the humidity. If you come from the UK with no preparation you just would not have experienced anything like it. Its not the heat per say but when its 90% humidity at 30 degrees it just completely saps you of strength and stamina.

On top of this China have a massive tennis program with their juniors. So I would say it is far from a place to come for easy point

indiana · Tennis legend

Interesting points. Don't know overall, but Alex Ward had a decent time in Thailand and Cambodia towards the end of last season. After a comparatively poor period nearer home, he had a win, runner up and semi during a few weeks of futures out there.

Shhh · Challenger level

To be able to look back and say "I was a pro tennis player in my 20's" is massive thing. Amongst those years, trips to some of the more far flung places is a hell of a thing for any young man (or woman) to go through, a wealth of good and bad things I am sure, and certainly an experience that seems a crime to miss out on.

That said, I wish he'd won wink