Week 46 - Challenger ($50,000) - Champaign, IL, USA (hard)

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Week 46 - Challenger ($50,000) - Champaign, IL, USA (hard)

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Strong start from Josh M at *2-0

That was some backhand for 15-30 in the last game.

Edit

Make that 3-0* (and from 0-30 down)

-- Edited by Bob in Spain on Wednesday 13th of November 2013 11:03:41 PM

Spectator · All-time great

Absolutely astounding. Wonderful choice of pictures, SC - an extraordinary win for Mr Milton over a very battle-hardened, good player. When I saw Ram threatening to break in that last game, was worried ... really thought this was the point at which long experience might tell ... but not the case! And well done to Mr Smethurst and Mr Rice on reaching their first Challenger QFs.

Mr Smethurst and his QF opponent have a busy afternoon: both now go on to doubles matches.

-- Edited by Spectator on Thursday 14th of November 2013 12:29:34 AM

steven · Tennis legend

Filling in CH and H2H info re. the QFs ...

QF: Dave Rice WR 329 v (7) Sam Groth (AUS) WR 203 (CH 189 in Mar)
QF: (Q) Josh Milton WR 580 v (WC) Dennis Nevolo (USA) WR 579 (CH 566 in Oct) - H2H 0-1, 2 & 3, Costa Mesa Fut R1 in March
QF: (Q) Dan Smethurst WR 485 v (Q) Dimitar Kutrovsky (BUL) WR 548 (CH 312 in 2012) - H2H 0-1, 3 & 0, Houston Fut R2 last month

Heavy losses in the H2Hs, then, but something tells me Josh and Dan are playing a lot better than when they last played tomorrow's opponents ...

Bonus pool so far

£ 300 for George
£ 500 for Ed
£1,000 for Dave
£1,500 for Dan
£1,500 for Josh

Total so far: £ 4,800

-- Edited by steven on Thursday 14th of November 2013 12:35:49 AM

steven · Tennis legend

Finally found a candidate for the last time 3 Brits made the singles QFs at the same Challenger *outside the UK*:

Perth (Australia) in March 2001:

- Jamie Delgado reached the Final, losing to Mazarakis
- (4) Arvind Parmar lost to Delgado in the QFs
- (3) Martin Lee lost to Okun in the QFs

Any advance on that? (i.e. any time it has happened between Mar 2001 and Dec 2007 that I've forgotten - I'm virtually certain it hasn't happened since the start of 2008, otherwise I should have picked it up from the weekly points lists I have been keeping since then)

-- Edited by steven on Thursday 14th of November 2013 01:03:37 PM

wolf · Tennis legend

Dave lost the first set 7-5.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

All so so so close . . .

4-4 third set for Dave.

5-5 first set for Ed.

steven · Tennis legend

4-4 in the 3rd, Dave gets a break point, looks like he is going to win a long, powerful rally but ends up cracking first under the pressure of Crepaldi's relentless defence and even more relentless grunting.

5 minutes later, lots more deuces, at least 2 more bps gone, I think. Now he has another one ...

steven · Tennis legend

This time he takes it

Dave will serve to make a Challenger singles QF for the first time in his career. Come on!!

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

and gets it !

Now for those big serves . . .

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

L16: Dave Rice WR 329 defeated Erik Crepaldi (ITA) WR 515 by 5-7 6-4 6-4 smile

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Just started watching at the start of the TB. I am sure Ed must have played pretty well to get that far, but the TB and the break to love he has just conceded at the start of the 2nd set were dire beyond belief.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

But should add my congrats to Dave on his first ever Chalenger QF. Great stuff !!

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Bob in Spain wrote:
Just started watching at the start of the TB. I am sure Ed must have played pretty well to get that far, but the TB and the break to love he has just conceded at the start of the 2nd set were dire beyond belief.

I saw it from half way through the first set and, no, Ed wasn't playing that well - but it was pretty even, if uninspired, from both of them.

The horrid errors now though are killing him. (And what's with all these mad dashes to the net ?)

philwrig · Hall of fame

I would say Smethy is strong mentally, he's made alot of comebacks in particular a TB when he was 6-1 down, so that is a big asset.

He has a very solid baseline game that generally doesn't break down, I think he could certainly match what Alex has done if not better.