Week 23 - Challenger (€64,000) - Nottingham (grass) - doubles

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

RE: Week 23 - Challenger (€64,000) - Nottingham (grass) - doubles

paulisi · Tennis legend

I was watching some of the Skupskis match and assumed they had won, it was comfortable for them in the first set and even in the second. Surprised by the result.

philwrig · Hall of fame

I doubt Thorner's or Ricey will ever play a better MTB, it was faultless other than a Sean DF.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
QF: (WC) Dave Rice & Sean Thornley CR 489 (243+246) defeated (2) Ken Skupski & Neal Skupski CR 133 (63+70) by 4-6 6-4 [10-4]
What a performance! I felt that, once it went to an MTB, they must have a reasonable chance of clinching it. Sean & Dave more than justifying their wild card there! Ram & the Gooch: beware!
*****
SF: (4) Chris Guccione & Rajeev Ram (AUS/USA) CR 164 (57+107) vs (WC) Dave Rice & Sean Thornley CR 489 (243+246)

I'll ask the question I posed on the girls' Nottingham thread after Jos Rae & Anna Smith, unseeded, put out the second seeds to reach the women's doubles final: Wimbledon wild card, anyone?

philwrig · Hall of fame

I'd give them one all day long, but they don't meet the current criteria.

indiana · Tennis legend

I take it then that the doubles target is indeed CR 400, as Gary indicated a little while ago ?

philwrig · Hall of fame

Yes that's right Indy.

Jaffa · Challenger level

Where would a win in this tournament take them CR wise?

indiana · Tennis legend

Rice & Thornley looking like candidates for a Wimbledon QWC then.

I'd say Willis & Burton and Smethurst & Corrie are in the boat, with all 6 players involved currently having rankings between WR 200 and WR 250. No pair, in my view, has an exceptional claim for a MD WC, but all deserve something.

If that's too many QWCs then I'd exceptionally give one of these pairs a MD WC. The best ranked are Smethurst & Corrie, although if Rice & Thornley won the title here, I am pretty sure that they'ed not only overtake Smethurst & Corrie, but get their CR under 400. Quite an incentive !

Shhh · Challenger level

In the past the singles winners of the Nottingham grass challengers received wild cards, why not the doubles winners?

indiana · Tennis legend

If Rice and Thornley win the title, I would think that they will get a Wimbledon MD WC, especially, as I indicated, I am pretty sure that that would take their CR below 400.

I can see a case for lower ranked title winners, but I'd say that that is more open to debate, especially since that rule no longer applies to singles winners.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Not to be, but they appear to have given a good account of themselves:

SF: (4) Chris Guccione & Rajeev Ram (AUS/USA) CR 164 (57+107) defeated (WC) Dave Rice & Sean Thornley CR 489 (243+246) by 7-6(5) 7-6(3) cry

A pointless exercise, I know, but I wonder whether the Skupskis could have pressed the fourth seeds any harder.

indiana · Tennis legend

That does look a very good effort. Good week for Dave and Sean.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Thought they'd shot their bolt when they went 3-4* down in the second set... Was afraid I was going to have to say "Two Aussies, a Yank, a Taiwanese - & no Brits in the Nottingham men's doubles final! Colin & André run out of steam"! I think it was one of the Aussies & the Taiwanese whp ran out of steam in the end! wink

SF: (1) Colin Fleming & André Sá (BRA) CR 111 (36+75) defeated Paul Hanley & Jimmy Wang (AUS/TPE) CR 584 (85+499) by 4-6 7-6(3) [10-3]

*****

Final: (1) Colin Fleming & André Sá (BRA) CR 111 (36+75) vs (4) Chris Guccione & Rajeev Ram (AUS/USA) CR 164 (57+107)

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Final: (4) Chris Guccione & Rajeev Ram (AUS/USA) CR 164 (57+107) defeated (1) Colin Fleming & André Sá (BRA) CR 111 (36+75) by 6-7(2) 6-2 [11-9] bleh