Week 41 - Spain F34 ($10,000) - Sant Cugat (Clay)

RJA · Hall of fame

Week 41 - Spain F34 ($10,000) - Sant Cugat (Clay)

RJA · Hall of fame

Not a good day in Spain

QR1: George Davies UNR lost to (wc/q1) Carlos Baluda-Purkiss (ESP) WR 818 : 6-2, 6-2
QR1: Joel Cannell UNR lost to Sergio Castellon Guasch (ESP) UNR : 6-3, 7-6(6)
QR1: Mehdi Naqvi UNR lost to Lucas McCone (BEL) UNR : 7-5, 6-1

indiana · Tennis legend

I guess Carlos is no longer talked about as the next Nadal..

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
I guess Carlos is no longer talked about as the next Nadal..

I remember there being some discussion about this a couple of months ago.

I think the main problem is that Carlos just stopped growing. He was a fair sized 13 year-old (in height, and quite stocky in build) but is now only about 5 ft 5.

I don't know anything more about him but it's potentially a very sad story - to be built up as the next best thing since Nadal, be one of the only youngsters ever to win the Petits As twice etc. etc. etc. - and then to have you're body sort of let you down. I'm sure he can still do well but it's going to be mighty hard to make it anywhere near the top from that height.

Salmon · Tennis legend

When Carlos Boluda (isn't that a fairly unfortunate last name to have as a Spaniard?) was dominating along with Javier Marti, I remember some people saying that it wouldn't be a surprise if Marti went on to become the better player. Looks like that is going to be the case.

Salmon · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:

I don't know anything more about him but it's potentially a very sad story - to be built up as the next best thing since Nadal, be one of the only youngsters ever to win the Petits As twice etc. etc. etc. - and then to have you're body sort of let you down. I'm sure he can still do well but it's going to be mighty hard to make it anywhere near the top from that height.

I was looking at the old Tarbes drawsheets just now and it amazes me how cruelly the wheel of fortune turns. The person who sent a certain Grigor Dimitrov packing from the 2005 edition was our very own James Chaudry - http://old.tenniseurope.org/pdf/junior/Results%202005/Tarbes%2014/BSM.pdf

And the person who beat Coxy in the 2004 final seems to be as good as retired from the game - http://old.tenniseurope.org/pdf/junior/Results%202004/Tarbes%2014/BSM.pdf

http://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=100053702

It must be terrible being any of those guys (arguably even Cox, but he may yet salvage a good career out of tennis) who were at the top of the world at such a young age, but later had to give the sport up without making an impact on the big stage. Think of the dreams they must have seen and the reality they had to settle for.