Week 25 - United States F15 ($15,000) - Tulsa (hard)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Week 25 - United States F15 ($15,000) - Tulsa (hard)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

QR1: Matthew Kirby (GBR) def. Greg Labanowski (USA) UNR 6-2 6-0

QR2: Matthew Kirby (GBR) v (7) Fares Ghasya (LBA) WR 2034 CH 1515 (2011)

Sofa · Social player

Coup Droit wrote:
QR1: Matthew Kirby (GBR) def. Greg Labanowski (USA) UNR 6-2 6-0

QR2: Matthew Kirby (GBR) v (7) Fares Ghasya (LBA) WR 2034 CH 1515 (2011)

I think Matthew's next opponent is Farris Gosea. He is a British boy born 1994 that went to university in the USA he had some falling out with the LTA and decided to play for Lybia which is where his father is from. But I could be wrong as he spells his name differently.

Doonan · Intermediate Club Player

Ghasya is fairly known on here - having taken Smethurst to a match tie break in Q2 before his semi in Champaign.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

QR2: Matthew Kirby (GBR) lost to (7) Fares Ghasya (LBA) WR 2034 CH 1515 (2011) 6-1 6-1

Miriambee · Futures level

I completely fail to understand why the 3 lads didn't come here to play a higher value tournament on hard, rather than a 10K on clay!

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

Kirkby is at uni in Tulsa, so I guess this counts as a local match for him

Miriambee · Futures level

I mean Liam, Luke and Ashley who are in Buffalo.

Sofa · Social player

I guess they think competing on clay is better for their development. I can't think of another reason!

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

Sofa wrote:
I guess they think competing on clay is better for their development. I can't think of another reason!

Given I believe Oli has had his funding reviewed for deciding to play the grass rather than follow 'team instructions' to go off to the clay with the other guys, I imagine it doesn't matter what Liam, Luke and Ashley think is better for their development!!

This seems to some up the somewhat prescriptive attitude to development by the LTA for those that take it's pounds. There never seems any suggestion of a collaborative approach (with the possible exception of the Kyle/Beecher dynamic, now sadly over).

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, it does seem very clear that competing in US clay 10K futures is part of a planned development for Liam, Luke and Ashley.

For as has been raised before, the really intriguing point is that they are over in the USA at all at this particular time.

How much they themselves think it is better for them as compared to how others think it is better for them, who knows.

I just hope that there do prove to be real benefits.

Sofa · Social player

It is pretty clear that the guys that went to Turkey and Israel recently did not want to do the trip but we're told that had too. This was an open discussion at a recent tournament I visited.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Hopefully the new development guy will change things as the LTA should not dictate schedules for funded players, it should be an agreed schedule with players.

steven · Tennis legend

L32: Daniel Manlow WR 1091 v (WC) Chase Gordon (USA) UNR

This is Chase 'Manhattan Flash' Gordon's first ITF Pro Circuit event (he is 19 and only ever played one ITF junior match, losing it 1 & 4) - he is, unsurprisingly, at college in Tulsa.

steven · Tennis legend

I missed one ...

L32: (WC) Ashley Watling UNR v (WC) Jared Hiltzik (USA) WR 1644 (CH 1499 last Jul)

24-year-old Ashley has been ranked before (CH 1334 in 2009) and finished playing at college in Tulsa two years ago. Hiltzik is also at college in the US but not at Tulsa, as far as I can tell.