Week 31 - Challenger ($100,000) - Vancouver, Canada (Hard)

Spectator · All-time great

RE: Week 31 - Challenger ($100,000) - Vancouver, Canada (Hard)

Shhh · Challenger level

Deja vu moment. Did James win the title here a couple of years ago after losing the final the week before?

paulisi · Tennis legend

Excellent performance from James. Best I've seen him play for a long time. His serve was extremely impressive and he played a deep baseline game, with great defensive skills.
The Aussie is a talent, but needs to tidy up that backhand as his serve and forehand are weapons and needs a little variation.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Loving the highlights ! Well done, James.

I love Thanasi but sometimes you've just got to put these young pups in their place and show them who's top dog.

The four nasty forehand errors when Kokki gets broken in the first set are real youngster errors.

Great physicality from James. Vamos, son.

steven · Tennis legend

Shhh wrote:
Deja vu moment. Did James win the title here a couple of years ago after losing the final the week before?

Yes, he did http://www.britishtennis.net/gbtop25m/challfin.htm?n=1

Spectator · All-time great

Would love to see Mr Ward repeat as the titlist.

Going back a few pages to Mr Evans - I hope he is or becomes healthy, and if he's had problems with the knee that have set him back at precisely the point when he could have made a surge forward, that's a tough thing and not to be underestimated in terms of its impact, physically or psychologically. But generally speaking over the years, I can't say that I have cared about particular results for him: in something that is non-essential (as matches are in the largest sense), it's never much use to want something more for someone than they seem - at least in terms of the way they are prepared to work - to want it for themselves. But I would love to see him succeed more generally - keep coming back to that tattoo and the sense it gives that somewhere, underlying all the "too cool to care" stuff, there's a person who sooner or later will discover what really matters and will be willing to go for it. And then, well, they always say that the greatest sinners make the greatest saints.

Just a hunch ... but it does happen. Of course, the thing that really matters to him may not, in the end, be tennis. But then that's all right, too.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Evo is back in the UK, so presumably not played US Open qualifiers.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

That said I would love to see James break the top 100 and stay there for as long as possible. Add in some more memorably Davis cup performances and that is some tennis career. I really hope Dan doesn't look back on his career and have any regrets, there are few talented enough to get such an opportunity and fewer capable of taking it.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Oakland2002 wrote:
That said I would love to see James break the top 100 and stay there for as long as possible. Add in some more memorably Davis cup performances and that is some tennis career. I really hope Dan doesn't look back on his career and have any regrets, there are few talented enough to get such an opportunity and fewer capable of taking it.

Yes, smile . I 100% believe that James will make the top 100 - I don't think he'll ever have a complete life-changing light bulb moment and become a solid WR 70 i.e. I think he;ll always have inexplicably horrible losses and nasty moments, so up and down, but I think he's getting more solid as the years go by and will have a run where it all goes that bit better (it's all quite fine margins) and will make the top 100 and effectively move up a gear and won't that be wonderful . . .

As for Dan, well, injury or no, your point is well made.

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

Wardys match has started, it is streamed as well!

Down an early break 3-2 but good level of tennis from both players, Dustov just playing the more aggressive of the two in the last game (which he broke in)

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

*2-4

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

3-4*
Wardy has BP in the 8th game

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

Doesnt take it...deuce

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

Big groundies to get another BP

murray_2k9 · Challenger qualifying

Aced... back to deuce.