Week 40 - Germany F14 ($10,000) - Hambach (carpet)

Spectator · All-time great

RE: Week 40 - Germany F14 ($10,000) - Hambach (carpet)

sherbert · Lower Club Player

RJA wrote:
sherbert wrote:
I completely agree with you - Neil is so calm and level headed that he doesn't believe that's what it is. I keep telling him that he knows how to play, it's the winning he just can't seem to get right.
I must have watched Neil play at least a dozen times over the past couple of years. My first impression is that he is an absolute superb lad, I have never seen a single incidence of even remotely poor behaviour on court and I have never heard anybody utter a bad word about him. My second impression is that he has a really a nice game and that had he been around when carpet and fast hard courts were more common he would have had a much better career. My third impression is that he doesn't really believe that he will ever be better than a decent futures player.

I agree with you on most of that RJA, apart from your last point. If I'm honest, there have been times I've been fed up of tennis and have wishes that Neil would finish and start a 'normal' life. Whenever I have said this to him, he always tells me that he believes he can be better. At the age of 24, I think if he truly believed he was only good enough to be a futures player, he would have given up by now.

RJA · Hall of fame

sherbert wrote:
RJA wrote:
sherbert wrote:
I completely agree with you - Neil is so calm and level headed that he doesn't believe that's what it is. I keep telling him that he knows how to play, it's the winning he just can't seem to get right.
I must have watched Neil play at least a dozen times over the past couple of years. My first impression is that he is an absolute superb lad, I have never seen a single incidence of even remotely poor behaviour on court and I have never heard anybody utter a bad word about him. My second impression is that he has a really a nice game and that had he been around when carpet and fast hard courts were more common he would have had a much better career. My third impression is that he doesn't really believe that he will ever be better than a decent futures player.
I agree with you on most of that RJA, apart from your last point. If I'm honest, there have been times I've been fed up of tennis and have wishes that Neil would finish and start a 'normal' life. Whenever I have said this to him, he always tells me that he believes he can be better. At the age of 24, I think if he truly believed he was only good enough to be a futures player, he would have given up by now.

I probably didn't word that very well. I don't doubt that he thinks he can get better but the impression I get, and I could of course be completely wrong, is that he lacks real belief in himself during the big moments in matches against higher calibre opponents.

steven · Tennis legend

For the record:

L32: Neil Pauffley WR 556 lost to (7) Maximilian Marterer (GER) WR 487 (CH 483 two weeks ago) 6-3 2-6 7-5

I know Neil must be very disappointed (especially with all those points to defend and the missed match points) but this was a pretty rough R1 draw against a player who, aged just 17, had only just lost to Neil here 2 years ago (again 7-5 in the 3rd but the right way round that time!) and I'm quite impressed Neil got this close to him this time.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

QF: (4) Kevin Krawietz & Maximilian Marterer (GER/GER) CR 1203 (370+833) defeated Keelan Oakley & Neil Pauffley CR 2328 (1553+775) by 7-6(5) 6-2 cry

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

And they were 5-2 up in the first set :(