Week 9 - ATP 500 Series: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Dubai, UAE (outdoor hard)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

RE: Week 9 - ATP 500 Series: Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Dubai, UAE (outdoor hard)

Spectator · All-time great

Forcing a second-set tie-breaker against a top-15 player in the 2nd round of an ATP 500 tournament - not bad at all. Great use of a WC - and hope we see more like it in the coming months!

-- Edited by Spectator on Wednesday 26th of February 2014 04:29:57 PM

stevemcqueen · Futures qualifying

A good performance! Somtimes I think JW lacks confidence, especially when he doesn't have a crowd behind him. He's played two good matched here. I hope he takes away renewed confidence along with the points and cash. Good luck in IW!

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

Not bad, not bad at all....

Go Wardy, onwards and upwards!

wolf · Tennis legend

Youzhny has given Djokovic a walkover in the next round.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

wolf wrote:
Youzhny has given Djokovic a walkover in the next round.

Doesn't that just make you want to spit! evileye

The Magician Santoro · Top national player

A bit late to the party, but staying in the same hotel as the players so met a lot of them and just to say what a top bloke Jonny Marray is, the only player who asked me questions rather than me asking the questions and a really nice guy. Said he's struggling to find a partner at the moment and still didn't have a partner confirmed for Indian Wells next. James Ward too is also a nice genuine guy.

Saw Youzhny this morning before breakfast, he looked fine to me, maybe it was something he had to eat.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

The Magician Santoro wrote:
A bit late to the party, but staying in the same hotel as the players so met a lot of them and just to say what a top bloke Jonny Marray is, the only player who asked me questions rather than me asking the questions and a really nice guy. Said he's struggling to find a partner at the moment and still didn't have a partner confirmed for Indian Wells next. [...]

I must say he's always come over as that to me in the interviews I've read, bless him. smile For some reason, I'd formed the impression from comments I read on here after I got back home early in January that he had at least a semi-permanent arrangement with Paul Hanley, but the fact that Jonny was at the Dubai ATP event this week, while Paul was playing in the Cherbourg Challenger with Jamie Delgado makes me wonder whether my ageing memory is in fact playing tricks on me (or, as a Yank would no doubt say, I'm misremembering )... I sincerely hope he manages to find a partner in time to play at Indian Wells.

Spectator · All-time great

Thanks for that, TMS. Always nice to have first-hand confirmation of the good impressions one gets from other sources!

-- Edited by Spectator on Thursday 27th of February 2014 11:50:52 PM

Spectator · All-time great

PS: There's a very fine Danish player who was spending some time in Shrewsbury earlier this week .... almost an honorary Briton, one might say. Might he be free for some doubles? They wouldn't make the cut for IW, but as was suggested on this thread earlier, we can still hope for a champions' reunion (if it would work for them)!

RJA · Hall of fame

Stircrazy wrote:
For some reason, I'd formed the impression from comments I read on here after I got back home early in January that he had at least a semi-permanent arrangement with Paul Hanley, but the fact that Jonny was at the Dubai ATP event this week, while Paul was playing in the Cherbourg Challenger with Jamie Delgado makes me wonder whether my ageing memory is in fact playing tricks on me (or, as a Yank would no doubt say, I'm misremembering )... I sincerely hope he manages to find a partner in time to play at Indian Wells.

The problem is that Hanley's ranking is about 80 which combined with Jonny's ranking won't get them into anything above an ATP 250.

The Magician Santoro · Top national player

Ward was still in the hotel last night, his foot was all bandaged up so if i were to guess i'd say he's not making the trip out to Indian Wells.

LouieG · County player

Really hope this isn't true

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

The Magician Santoro wrote:
Ward was still in the hotel last night, his foot was all bandaged up so if i were to guess i'd say he's not making the trip out to Indian Wells.

That is NOT what we want to hear. Hoping he recovers in time.

PS - TMS. Your "footer" needs updating with a couple of "14"s. Querrey and Gabashvili smile

A131 · Intermediate Club Player

I'm sure there must be something I'm not aware of or taking into consideration but how come James Ward has climbed 17 places in the rankings just for beating one person whilst Delbonis has only climbed 17 for winning the whole tournament in Sao Paulo.