Week 45 - Challenger ($50,000) - Traralgon 2, Australia (Hard)

Priesty · Challenger level

RE: Week 45 - Challenger ($50,000) - Traralgon 2, Australia (Hard)

Priesty · Challenger level

...but now breaks back to get the set 7-5!

korriban · Challenger level

Priesty wrote:
...but now breaks back to get the set 7-5!

james was 2-5* down, so 5 games in a row and counting.....

Julia Carrot · All-time great

Same score in second set. Well done James. I caught the second half of the second set and it was pretty close until the last two games when James raced ahead and the teenage wonder started to wander.

Floody78 · Junior player

It is amazing how many more tight sets Wardy is winning lately. So near to that top 100 that he must almost taste it!!

paulisi · Tennis legend

Good win for James. He should have a good chance in the semi final.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Floody78 wrote:
It is amazing how many more tight sets Wardy is winning lately. So near to that top 100 that he must almost taste it!!

Yes - those tight sets are just great, and presumably all about confidence.

And cheers Bob for the commentary again - shame for Kyle but a good week this week compared with recent times.

Jan · Hall of fame

Well done to James.
Hard luck Kyle, but sounds as though he played a decent match (thanks again Bob for the commentary).

Spectator · All-time great

That's a great win for Mr Ward. Consistency and winning the points/games that matter. Good stuff.

Jaffa · Challenger level

Can he get an SE to Yokohama now rather than going to Helsinki?

huntley93 · Strong Club Player

am i right in thinking 1 more win and james is top 100?

Floody78 · Junior player

According to the live rankings, another win would leave him 3 points off of Top 100! He would be number 101. Winning the tournament would take him to the mid 90s.

indiana · Tennis legend

Pity re Kyle, but good to read that he has played well again. An encouraging week.

As for James, another really good win against a very talented young player. He has been soo consistent of late ! Winning many tight sets, consistently playing good tennis - however this has come about it is so good to see James beginning to maximise on his talents.

I thought that he had a pretty good first half of the year, but it has been very much surpassed by the second half.

His updated ranking points are :

186 from 8 counters up to Wimbledon
339 and counting, from 10 counters post Wimbledon

525 in total from his 18 counters

steven · Tennis legend

I too think he needs 2 wins to make the top 100. He may well have already done enough to ensure AO direct entry though - and to take out Boggo's CH, which would make him the 5th highest ranked British man this century.

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

indiana wrote:
As for James, another really good win against a very talented young player. He has been soo consistent of late ! Winning many tight sets, consistently playing good tennis - however this has come about it is so good to see James beginning to maximise on his talents.

I thought that he had a pretty good first half of the year, but it has been very much surpassed by the second half.

His updated ranking points are :

186 from 8 counters up to Wimbledon
339 and counting, from 10 counters post Wimbledon

525 in total from his 18 counters

I think it because part way through this year he took on a full-time coach. In the past he has often alluded to the fact that he sometimes found the tour a bit lonely, especially as he was the only Brit at his level. Perhaps in the past on his own he has let self-doubt get to him and having a coach on board has eliminated that? Or maybe the coach has found the key to James consistently getting the best out of himself? Whatever, I am convinced the coach situation is key and am delighted for James that he is now regularly playing at the level we all knew was there.