Week 40 - Spain F33 ($10,000) - Sabadell (Clay)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Week 40 - Spain F33 ($10,000) - Sabadell (Clay)

RJA · Hall of fame

Alex Ward should be in the main draw here.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

1 win (for our 15 year-old) and 2 losses:

QR1 : JOEL CANNELL (GBR) def. Jeremias LIMA-PEREZ (ESP) [14] 6-3 6-2

QR1 : Lucas MCCONE (BEL) def. George DAVIES (GBR) 6-1 6-3
QR1 : Daniel CASABLANCAS (ESP) def. Mehdi NAQVI (GBR) 7-6(3) 6-3

QR2 : JOEL CANNELL (GBR) v Jordi MAS DE UGARTE (ESP) UNR

RJA · Hall of fame

That looks like a very good win for Joel.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Nearly went to this tournament last year. If I remember correctly, Liam and Kyle both played. Decided not to go at the last minute as the forecast was bad and in the end, the first weekend was almost a washout.

Certainly seems like a fabulous win for Joel over a ranked and seeded opponent. First time I have come across his name. Doubt it is going to be the last.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

For those who want a face and a voice to go with the name, there's a nice youtube video from Joel, from only a couple of months ago - he's at the Justine Henin academy :

www.youtube.com/watch

steven · Tennis legend

QR2: Joel Cannell UNR lost to Jordi Mas de Ugarte (ESP) UNR by 7-6(5) 3-6 6-3

L32: (4) Alex Ward WR 310 v Gibril Diarra (AUT) WR 887 (CH 771 in Aug)

Famous last words, I know, but Alex, still trying to reach his first singles semi-final of the year, appears to have a decent draw this week.

-- Edited by steven on Sunday 29th of September 2013 04:33:23 PM

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Looks like Joel put up a good fight again.

Tennisnow · Lower Club Player

Can't help but think that Alex would be so much better off if he stuck to challengers. Having consistently made the main draw of challenger's it seems bizarre to drop down to 10k futures.

DWH · Club Coach

I wondered the same thing as Bob and looked it up when Coup posted what Alex wrote in the Sevilla thread. Wasn't sure if people already knew though.

He's listed on their website as past Alumni and yup it is indeed the same one as Mr Murray. Quite a few other big names listed in their "Book of honour" as well.

http://www.sanchez-casal.com/

-- Edited by DWH on Tuesday 1st of October 2013 03:49:05 PM

paulisi · Tennis legend

Alex is underway. Can he go well in a futures tournament? Stats say no.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Tennisnow wrote:
Can't help but think that Alex would be so much better off if he stuck to challengers. Having consistently made the main draw of challenger's it seems bizarre to drop down to 10k futures.

Depends on the challenger schedule - only 3 this week, Mons, Sacramento and one in South America and a trip to South America to play qualifying may not be cost effective.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

paulisi wrote:
Tennisnow wrote:
Can't help but think that Alex would be so much better off if he stuck to challengers. Having consistently made the main draw of challenger's it seems bizarre to drop down to 10k futures.
Depends on the challenger schedule - only 3 this week, Mons, Sacramento and one in South America and a trip to South America to play qualifying may not be cost effective.

He's playing this one mainly because it's where he used to live for three years between 2006 and 2009. So he must have friends, like the place and maybe want to support the area.

I don;t think it's a really strategic move (although I agree that Mons was the only other real alternative, or a break).

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Did Alex attend a Tennis Academy or something when he was living there ? Maybe the same one Andy M went to ? Sabadell is so close to Barcelona, I actuallly stayed in the Hotel Sabadell right in the centre when I went to the Barcelona ATP event last year.

Really good hotel although it had the record for the slowest internet connection and the hardest underground car park to get in and out of.

3-3 so far with no breaks.

korriban · Challenger level

I'd really like Alex to have 2 or 3 weeks of significant points scoring tournaments, hopefully starting now. The recent stats breakdown on this forum showed how he'd done pretty well in Challengers as well as ATP qualies (without ever really having a big points week), but bizzarely had not done a thing in Futures all year. So whilst it feels like he's had a good year and made a real breakthrough from a playing level and career point of view, his ranking points gained to date are looking a worry and say the opposite.