Where did I say or suggest Josh threw the match? I'm sure he never would do such a thing for all the reasons you have felt the need to set out. Very naughty to suggest that   

I just said I'm not surprised Harry won, and given that bet365 basically go by ranking for their odds, he'd probably have been at least 10 or 20 to 1 before it started. Well worth a couple of quid and so it would have proved.

-- Edited by PaulM on Wednesday 11th of December 2013 12:18:16 PM

I didn't mean to suggest you did, PaulM - I just wanted to get it out there, so to speak.

Well, I believe that if it is proven that you have truly thrown a match, then that is a banning offence (whether you bet or not) which would indeed probably be career over - I don't think it's overdramatic (and I don;t think he did) but I do think that the rules are right to be strict. (Of course, there is some grey area, that's just life . . . ). Maybe I'm wrong but all match-fixing, of any kind, is a very serious thing now.

Sorry, but I was just saying what I think ( it's a habit I sometimes have to watch ! )

And while I certainly didn't accuse anyone of throwing anything, I just personally suggested the possibility was much more in some folk's minds ( including mine ) than they are maybe prepared to admit ( not aimed at anyone specifically, since I am sure others simply do not believe it at all ). Plus, I still don't think its such a huge issue in the circumstances.

Anyway, on the face of it, it was a good battle, and I doubt serious questions will be asked at all. Bearing in mind the probable conditions they played a three set match in and Harry's form, on balance I do think it was simply Harry won fair and square on the day. I just choose not to consider anything else as unthinkable.

Anyway, if the mods have any issue with or are too uncomfortable with my general thoughts, but accusations against noone, feel free to purge them from the forum. Was just saying...

No need to delete anything, I don't think - as usual on here, there's enough balance that the more cynical view (which I'm not sure anyone here actually had to any great extent) has already been challenged. In a way, it's better that something like this is aired and challenged than that some people are just left thinking the worst. That was certainly true in the Klec case, where if you didn't know the ITF lucky loser rules, you might think Klec hadn't needed to win that FQR match whereas in fact he wasn't guaranteed a LL place at all - a point I noticed Harry himself made too, so he must have been aware that people might think it.

As has been pointed out, beating Josh (while quite an upset) isn't massively out of line with his other results here. It's great that things are going so well for them working together - indeed, it must have been a great confidence boost in the first place for Harry to find out that someone believed in him enough to want to take him on as a project

Welcome, tennisfollower

I donk think Josh lost the match deliberately or tried less than normal however I do doubt he would have lost if he had not 'retired' or started coaching Harry. I dont really think a coach should be allowed to play in the same tournament excepting doubles where it's a team game anyway.

I really hope Harry pushes on now but as much as I think Josh is still a 300-400 ranked player and would love him to keep going I really don't feel comfortable with him playing when Harry does as they could meet quite often and it could became awkward no matter the outcome.