Week 39 - Kuwait F2 ($10,000) - Meshref (Hard)

john · Top national player

RE: Week 39 - Kuwait F2 ($10,000) - Meshref (Hard)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Actually, I love the photo. I think it's great.

One of the things I love about tennis is that, within reason, you can be any natural size and shape and still make it to top world rankings. Same goes for football. But completely unlike basketball, swimming, women's gymnastics . . .

I love to see Sara Errani playing Serena Williams, or some 5 ft 8 stocky guy taking on a 6 ft 7 skinny guy, all arms and legs.

Marcus and Dan C. were clearly not made from the same mould - the photo is comical. And they're never going to be remotely the same.

It's certainly true that Marcus has work to do on his physique but I think it's quite encouraging for other players to see two such different looking guys both climbing the rankings so fast.

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Tuesday 24th of September 2013 11:34:46 AM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

L32: Lewis Burton WR 705 def. Matías Castor (ARG) WR 1100 (CH 975 in 2009) 6-3 6-0

Lewis will probably play the second seed next, Wang from France.

A1 tennis academy · Satellite level

No relation to Eddie stobart then ?

indiana · Tennis legend

I would like to congratulate Lewis Thompson on being one half of the pair that double bagelled the WC unranked Kuwaiti pair. Indeed, this is further proof that Brits know how to play doubles.

In fact, goddammit, I have just looked at the ATP men's doubles rankings and there are really quite a number of GB players in the top 100, indeed top 50, who'd have thought it ?! I am so glad this doubles ability has been brought to my attention. Just think what we could achieve with more support and funding being given to doubles players, indeed say fund every GB ranked doubles player.

I must confess that I am probably like most folk on this forum and need something repeated ad nausium before I get the point.

Of course, I would have been more aware if this forum's ranking / stats section had much more doubles information, something like the top 25 singles tables for starters. But seems a bit of a lack of dedication in keeping folk informed.

steven · Tennis legend

L32: Lewis Burton WR 705 beat Matías Castro (ARG) WR 1100 (CH 975 in 2009) by 3 & 0

L16: (3) Marcus Willis WR 415 v (Q) Ken Onishi (JPN) UNR (junior WR 48 in only his 3rd Futures event)
L16: Lewis Burton WR 705 v (2) Tak Khunn Wang (FRA) WR 340 (= CH)

Wang has won 4 Futures singles titles this year, though they were all on clay - hopefully he is a bit less effective on hard courts!

korriban · Challenger level

indiana wrote:
I would like to congratulate Lewis Thompson on being one half of the pair that double bagelled the WC unranked Kuwaiti pair. Indeed, this is further proof that Brits know how to play doubles.

In fact, goddammit, I have just looked at the ATP men's doubles rankings and there are really quite a number of GB players in the top 100, indeed top 50, who'd have thought it ?! I am so glad this doubles ability has been brought to my attention. Just think what we could achieve with more support and funding being given to doubles players, indeed say fund every GB ranked doubles player.

I must confess that I am probably like most folk on this forum and need something repeated ad nausium before I get the point.

Of course, I would have been more aware if this forum's ranking / stats section had much more doubles information, something like the top 25 singles tables for starters. But seems a bit of a lack of dedication in keeping folk informed.

Maybe a GB top 10 doubles pair ranking table would be good! Someone get on that please! smile smile smile smile

A1 tennis academy · Satellite level

Looks like Georgie Patton is breaking out of the bridgehead !

john · Top national player

korriban wrote:
indiana wrote:
I would like to congratulate Lewis Thompson on being one half of the pair that double bagelled the WC unranked Kuwaiti pair. Indeed, this is further proof that Brits know how to play doubles.

In fact, goddammit, I have just looked at the ATP men's doubles rankings and there are really quite a number of GB players in the top 100, indeed top 50, who'd have thought it ?! I am so glad this doubles ability has been brought to my attention. Just think what we could achieve with more support and funding being given to doubles players, indeed say fund every GB ranked doubles player.

I must confess that I am probably like most folk on this forum and need something repeated ad nausium before I get the point.

Of course, I would have been more aware if this forum's ranking / stats section had much more doubles information, something like the top 25 singles tables for starters. But seems a bit of a lack of dedication in keeping folk informed.

Maybe a GB top 10 doubles pair ranking table would be good! Someone get on that please!

Shouldn't be too difficult, and it would help Leon to work out our most effective pairing for Davis Cup. The doubles can be very important in Davis Cup, where the singles can often be split 2-2.

john · Top national player

Wow, this picture of Willis alongside Cox from A1s own website highlights how much more work Marcus needs to do on his conditioning. Didn 't realise quite what a big guy he was:

www.a1plc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/Daniel-Cox-Marcus-Willis.jpg

A1 tennis academy · Satellite level

That's out of order

john · Top national player

A1 tennis academy wrote:
That's out of order

I know, totally out of order. You'd think with all the money invested in him by yourself, for one, that he would put more work in

Salmon · Tennis legend

Obviously it is Marcus's life and he can do whatever he wants, but he is fairly large by normal 22 year old standards, and I don't even want to get into the average shape of a tennis player.

If he gets into the sort of shape that Cox is in, he could theoretically improve as a tennis player. I don't think anyone out here comments on his shape in order to make fun of him, and they wouldn't do it if he were training to be a psychologist ... it's just that we see that 95% of people in the top 100 have less than 15% body fat and think this is one field where Marcus can improve.

john · Top national player

Correct completely Salmon mate. That is not the body of someone who has committed 100% to being a professional athlete. Simple as

steven · Tennis legend

I'm not suggesting this is what is happening here (since there's clearly a genuine issue which hopefully Marcus is keener to address after recent success gives a hint of how far he might be able to go with complete commitment to the cause), but it's worth guarding against any temptation to take out any irritation (about someone's posts on the forum) on the player they are supporting ...