I'm sorry to say it, but I'm beyond caring any more - it's getting harder and harder to find information about matches that don't involve Marcus or Lewis (or A1 players) on GB threads, which has been a shame over the last couple of weeks as those 2 haven't actually won many matches since returning to the UK, so it would have been great to talk about other players a little more. Is there a place we can just talk about the tournaments without the discussion being dominated by the same subject week after week?
I have my hobby horses as much as the next person, but this has been death by Marcus and Lewis!
The youngsters really are asserting themselves in the doubles this afternoon :
SF: Luke Bambridge & George Morgan CR 1631 (736+895) defeated (2) Jesper Brunström & Patrik Rosenholm (SWE/SWE) CR 1085 (530+555) by 3 & 4
****
Final: Scott Clayton & Jonny O'Mara CR 1958 (756+1202) vs Luke Bambridge & George Morgan CR 1631 (736+895)
Nice to see the spoils getting shared round.
Jonny and Luke are still only 18 - barely graduated from junior rackets and soft tennis balls ! Scott's 19 and George the 'old man' at 20 - hope the 'kids' have a good match. (And that it helps their confidence and matchplay in singles . . . )
I'm sorry to say it, but I'm beyond caring any more - it's getting harder and harder to find information about matches that don't involve Marcus or Lewis (or A1 players) on GB threads, which has been a shame over the last couple of weeks as those 2 haven't actually won many matches since returning to the UK, so it would have been great to talk about other players a little more. Is there a place we can just talk about the tournaments without the discussion being dominated by the same subject week after week?
I have my hobby horses as much as the next person, but this has been death by Marcus and Lewis!
Since I have been at Edgbaston the last three days (it is only a 20 minute drive) I may be able to help.
First up Marzi. He has got better and better as the week has gone on. First round against Evan was a very close match and both guys played fairly well, Evan with some big hitting and James with some very solid play. First set was close but James always looked more likely to win and did. Second set was poor from James and Evan took full advantage winning it easily. Evan will feel he should have won as he led *4-3 and *6-5 in the third set and in both games was a bit tight, however credit to his James really put the pressure on in those games.
Second round was a curious match. Chadaj handed James a break in the first game but then started playing very well. He was extremely aggressive going for the lines time and again and hitting them with alarming regularity. He quickly broke back and looked the much better player. Fortunately for James he was serving well and just about survived the onslaught, he came through a tough game at *3-4 and sensing his moment upped his game at the same time that Chadaj started to miss. James broke and served out the set. He then broke in the first game of the second and then crucially held in the next game from 0-30. Chadaj continued to fade and James was ruthless in seeing out the match.
Today's match was impressive and scoreline certainly didn't flatter James. The first few games were tight but went with serve and then James produced some great tennis to break at 2-2*. He probably should have secured a double break at 4-2* but Cervenak survived with the help of some disputed line calls. Not that it mattered. James was serving fantastic and easily served out the set without facing a break point. He then started the second set in great fashion, breaking in the first game. The following game then looked like the decisive moment. It was the only bad service game of the match that James produced and largely through his own mistakes it was quickly 15-40. Cervenak wasted a golden opportunity on the first break point when he got sight of weak second serve only to bury it in the middle of the net. When James saved the second break point Cervenak's frustration was clear and from then on he completely lost the plot trying to blast winners from almost any position. James just stayed calm and let his opponent self destruct.
All in all it's obviously been a good week for James. It would be wrong to say that he has been brilliant or that he is certainly about to storm up the rankings. He has had a nice draw and an opponent today who did not play well. However there are some good signs. Firstly his serve is much, much better than it was a year or so ago. It used to be a liability that put huge pressure on the rest of his game. This week it got him out of some tight spots. Secondly there seems to be much harder edge to him on court. He has always had a great attitude and always given 100% on every point but he now seems much less forgiving of his own shortcomings. There is a healthy touch of anger to him when things go wrong. He will however have his work cut out against Grigelis as the Lithuanian looks a cut above everyone else playing this week.
I don't know what his plans are for the next few weeks but hopefully he will play some tournaments and take advantage of his improved form. Regardless of that it is nice to see him finally get a few wins. As Gary Lewis has said he is a really nice guy who has a great attitude and work ethic. I have never heard anyone say a bad word about him and in British tennis that is rare.
If you mean the quarter finals yesterday I only saw bits of Marcus and Lewis. If you mean the semi final today I saw most of the second set and the match tie break.
I agree with you that Marcus looks a little tired. Nothing too bad, just lacking in a little focus resulting in too many sloppy errors.