Week 8 - ATP 250 - Marseille (Hard)

TMH · Futures qualifying

RE: Week 8 - ATP 250 - Marseille (Hard)

Ben W · Social player

Well done Dan.

This is becoming a great start to the season!

Do people think Dan should stick to playing ATP qualies and hopefully main draws over the next few months due to his recent success.

Or perhaps mix it up and play a few big challengers where he will be seeded.

RJA · Hall of fame

Ben W wrote:
Well done Dan.
This is becoming a great start to the season!
Do people think Dan should stick to playing ATP qualies and hopefully main draws over the next few months due to his recent success.
Or perhaps mix it up and play a few big challengers where he will be seeded.

He is planning to play the Cherbourg challenger next week although I guess if he had a good run here he might end up withdrawing from it. After that it is qualifying for the Masters Series in Indian Wells and presumably Miami qualifying after that with the possibility of playing the Dallas challenger during the second week of Indian Wells.

Then there is the possibility of the Davis Cup tie. I can't see Dan being the ideal choice for a tie on Italian Clay but if he has surged into the top 100 can he really be left out of the squad?

After that I would imagine a fairly light schedule during the clay season, maybe just a couple of events and then the French Open where all being well he should be a Direct Acceptance. Then it's Queen's, Eastbourne and Wimbledon after which he could be well, well inside the top 100 and the question of whether or not to play ATP or challengers would not be a difficult one.

This of course is all based on him maintaining his good form. If things don't go as well obviously there is likely to be more challenger events in the mix.

Ben W · Social player

RJA wrote:
Ben W wrote:
Well done Dan.
This is becoming a great start to the season!
Do people think Dan should stick to playing ATP qualies and hopefully main draws over the next few months due to his recent success.
Or perhaps mix it up and play a few big challengers where he will be seeded.
He is planning to play the Cherbourg challenger next week although I guess if he had a good run here he might end up withdrawing from it. After that it is qualifying for the Masters Series in Indian Wells and presumably Miami qualifying after that with the possibility of playing the Dallas challenger during the second week of Indian Wells.
Then there is the possibility of the Davis Cup tie. I can't see Dan being the ideal choice for a tie on Italian Clay but if he has surged into the top 100 can he really be left out of the squad?
After that I would imagine a fairly light schedule during the clay season, maybe just a couple of events and then the French Open where all being well he should be a Direct Acceptance. Then it's Queen's, Eastbourne and Wimbledon after which he could be well, well inside the top 100 and the question of whether or not to play ATP or challengers would not be a difficult one.
This of course is all based on him maintaining his good form. If things don't go as well obviously there is likely to be more challenger events in the mix.

Thanks for the info RJA.

Sounds like a sensible schedule to me

steven · Tennis legend

Dan is 2nd after 10 GMT on Central tomorrow, while Kyle has the evening match on Central n/b 19.30 GMT.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Easy peasy! A winning comeback to the Tour for Ross:

R1: (PR) Colin Fleming & Ross Hutchins CR 557 (34+523) defeated (3) Julian Knowle & Johan Brunström (AUT/SWE) CR 81 (43+38) by 7-6(1) 6-3 biggrin

At least 45 points in the bag! smile

spud · Challenger qualifying

Stakhovsky is a class player, especially on indoor courts. He is solid from the back but has so much ability to mix it up as well. He is definitely underranked at the moment, Dan will have to play a very good match

RJA · Hall of fame

spud wrote:
Stakhovsky is a class player, especially on indoor courts. He is solid from the back but has so much ability to mix it up as well. He is definitely underranked at the moment, Dan will have to play a very good match

I don't think you can really say that he is under ranked. He does have the potential to be higher, and has of course been much higher, but his ranking has been in the 80-120 bracket for nearly two years during which time he has had no major injury problems. His ranking is a genuine reflection of his performances.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
Easy peasy! A winning comeback to the Tour for Ross:
R1: (PR) Colin Fleming & Ross Hutchins CR 557 (34+523) defeated (3) Julian Knowle & Johan Brunström (AUT/SWE) CR 81 (43+38) by 7-6(1) 6-3
At least 45 points in the bag!

Excellent news, Ross really needs some decent points, otherwise he will be forced to play challengers and drag down Colin's ranking.

This is his 2nd/3rd use of PR and I assume he will keep some for Paris, Wimbledon and some Masters tournaments. He won't have many more wc's available either

savva0122 · Intermediate Club Player

Hoping for a good run here. I checked the rulebook the other day though and thought there was no limit on wc's for doubles? I could stand corrected though, if so guaranteed wc's for Eastbourne, queens and wimby.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Colin and Ross played some really great stuff today, but as always these doubles matches are decided on really fine margins.

In the first set, I think there were only break points in one game and that was at 30-40 on Colin's serve. A winning volley from Ross saved the first and then on the "killer" deuce point, Colin served a 2nd serve ace. In the tiebreak, having won the first point, Brunstrom then double faulted and Ross then came up with a superb down the line return of serve for an outright winner. It was 5-0 in a flash and 7-1 three points later.

In the 2nd set, at 2-2, we got to deuce on the Knowle serve. Colin took it (even though I thought Ross had been returning better) and he completely framed the return but in doing so, hit the perfect lob for an outright winner. A stroke of luck maybe, but they deserved it as they were so solid throughout. They both served exceptionally well and Ross' returning was also very strong throughout.

Just so happy to see them winning again.

-- Edited by Bob in Spain on Monday 17th of February 2014 08:39:04 PM

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Bob in Spain wrote:
Colin and Ross played some really great stuff today, but as always these doubles matches are decided on really fine margins.

In the first set, I think there were only break points in one game and that was at 30-40 on Colin's serve. A winning volley from Ross saved the first and then on the "killer" deuce point, Colin served a 2nd serve ace. In the tiebreak, having won the first point, Brunstrom then double faulted and Ross then came up with a superb down the line return of serve for an outright winner. It was 5-0 in a flash and 7-1 three points later.

In the 2nd set, at 2-2, we got to deuce on the Knowle serve. Colin took it (even though I thought Ross had been returning better) and he completely framed the return but in doing so, hit the perfect lob for an outright winner. A stroke of luck maybe, but they deserved it as they were so solid throughout. They both served exceptionally well and Ross' returning was also very strong throughout.

Just so happy to see them winning again.

Cheers, Bob. Always good to have a first-hand account of such matches - & you ain't the only one happy to see the boys back in a winning groove, not to mention seeing off the third seeds in what seems like relatively comfortable style.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Bob, any sign of any MD player looking a bit queasy ? nasty blister ? missing his mum ? in fact, any reason really to pull out and call it a day and let our James get a slot . . . .

keep up the great reports !!!

daisy · County player

Thanks for the reports Bob - really good to have news from the ground.

LouieG · County player

Evo about to start, good luck!