Week 29 - Challenger ($50,000): Levene Gouldin & Thompson Tennis Challenger, Binghamton, NY (hard)

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

RE: Week 29 - Challenger ($50,000): Levene Gouldin & Thompson Tennis Challenger, Binghamton, NY (hard)

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

King had 40-0 but its now deuce

LouieG · County player

Dan up 4-1*

Bright Spark · Lower Club Player

Now 5-2* up

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

First set in the bag by 6-3.

paulisi · Tennis legend

King looks an average futures player. No weight of serve or power in the ground shots. Only real asset is his movement. This should be meat and drink for Dan.
The only issue Dan has is the balls that kick up above shoulder height.

Bright Spark · Lower Club Player

Dan serving for the match at 5-2 now

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

QF: Dan Cox WR 231 defeated Darian King (BAR) WR 445 by 3 & 2

Big step-up required in the semi:

SF: Dan Cox WR 231 vs (2) Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) WR 88 (CH = 31 in September 2010)

steven · Tennis legend

Well done Dan - he makes his first Challenger singles semi-final! edit: and should see him take out his career high of 214 - I think he'll be top 210 with this.

QF: Dan Cox WR 231 beat Darian King (BAR) WR 445 (CH 384 last Aug) by 3 & 2

SF: Dan Cox WR 231 v (2) Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) WR 88 (CH 31 in 2010)

H2H 0-1 - Stakh won 6-2 6-4 6-4 at Wimbledon in 2011

-- Edited by steven on Friday 18th of July 2014 11:35:16 PM

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

That was as comprehensive as many of us had hoped but few of us were prepared to predict in public. Congrats to Dan on reaching his first ever Challenger semi.

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

Yeah Dan! Great stuff, nice and easy, very few errors at all once he got settled.

Stakh will be a different kettle of fish though.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

SF: Dan Cox & Dan Smethurst CR 849 (658+191) "defeated" (4) Bradley Klahn & Jordan Thompson (USA/AUS) CR 507 (177+330) by a walkover

And should Dan fail in his singles semi agin Stakh later today, he'll have a second bite of the cherry on Sunday in the doubles:

Final: Dan Cox & Dan Smethurst CR 849 (658+191) vs Marius Copil & Sergiy Stakhovsky (ROU/UKR) UNR (*)

(*) by virtue of the fact that Copil currently - & I find this hard to believe - has no doubles ranking, while Stakh's is 143 & has been as high as 33 (June 2011)

A measly $1,550 apiece (but still not to be sneezed at at this level, I suppose) + 80 points if they win the title, $900 + 48 points, if they don't.

Spectator · All-time great

The points are handy. Mr Smethurst is edging up towards the 170s, I think, with this result ... or higher if they win. He should certainly have an increasing number of options vis a vis playing in higher-level tournaments.

BeefyDeedz · Pro player

It was great to see that Dan came through the QF's, hope he can give Stakhovsky a good go. Above all it's a good opportunity to have a look at where his tennis is. Considering he's already gained some good points, that's probably an ideal result from a good tournament.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Dan had a miserable first two games, only winning one point - off a double fault from Stakh.

But then holds, which must feel better.

1-2* to Stakh.