Week 1 - USA F2 ($15,000) - Los Angeles, CA (Hard)

steven · Tennis legend

RE: Week 1 - USA F2 ($15,000) - Los Angeles, CA (Hard)

Spectator · All-time great

I've never seen Mr Milton play before, but am guessing he is having an off day. That's not to take away from Mr Kozlov, who is unlikely - barring injury or unforeseen incident - to spend the rest of his career playing futures. But from the two or three games I've now seen, Mr Milton is not making his life difficult. Looks to be much more even in the second match ... do hope Mr Ward can close it out in straights, as I rather suspect Mr Frank could be dangerous in three.

Spectator · All-time great

And so it goes. 6-1, 6-0 for Mr Kozlov. I watched a little bit of the other match, which looks a very high quality indeed .... but paradoxically, as I quite would like to see Mr Ward win and it's so close, it's too tense for me to watch! Second set currently 4-3 with Mr Ward serving. Will really hope to come back to find he's served it out.

steven · Tennis legend

Alex is serving for the match ...

steven · Tennis legend

From 15-30 to 40-30 ...

L32: (7) Josh Milton WR 382 lost to Stefan Kozlov (USA) WR 466 (CH 441 last Oct; 16yo junior WR 3) by 1 & 0
L32: (5) Alex Ward WR 348 beat Mitchell Frank (USA) WR 584 (CH 503 last Oct; former top 5 junior) by 1 & 4

Dire scoreline for Josh (even if it was a rough draw) but a very good comeback win for Alex

In R2, Alex will play the winner of Bangoura v Escobedo, who will play their R1 match tomorrow.

Edit: I should add that by "comeback win" in this case, I mean it's his first ATP-ranked match since his last injury a few months ago, not that he 'came back' from 0-1 down in the 1st set wink

-- Edited by steven on Tuesday 6th of January 2015 07:36:18 PM

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Excellent win for Alex. Expecting big things from him this year if he can stay injury free.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Very pleased for Alex. But, as mentioned, Mitchell hasn't had much to report but losses in the last few months (he's just rather high on our radar because of his unfortunate run of form in summer).

Would be SO good if Alex could have 12 months free run . . . fingers crossed . . .

Spectator · All-time great

Hurrah! Well done for Mr Ward.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Spectator wrote:
I've never seen Mr Milton play before, but am guessing he is having an off day. That's not to take away from Mr Kozlov, who is unlikely - barring injury or unforeseen incident - to spend the rest of his career playing futures. But from the two or three games I've now seen, Mr Milton is not making his life difficult. Looks to be much more even in the second match ... do hope Mr Ward can close it out in straights, as I rather suspect Mr Frank could be dangerous in three.

Josh is very inconsistent(results wise), but is a very good ball striker and when he is on his game, he will cause players problems. His serve is his weak point. I agree though will mostly be playing futures circuit.

Spectator · All-time great

I wasn't actually commenting on Mr Milton's likely prospects, but simply that I doubt Mr Kozlov will be troubling fellow futures players all his life.

-- Edited by Spectator on Tuesday 6th of January 2015 10:57:36 PM

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Can't see Kozlov playing much futures tennis at all, indeed I would anticipate a challenger win and then lift off top 200 before he is 18?? Pretty rough start for Josh if he was looking to find some form. Good start for Alex. Mitchel looks to have taken a backwards step indeed got despatched by Kozlov who with a bit of luck Alex will get a crack at later.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

The US have a tasty crop of 16-17 year olds probably too good for college tennis as I see Taylor Fritz has dispatched the No 1 seed.

A QF is Lining up that we may see a number of times in the next decade or two on the ATP tour.

I feel a real shift downward shift in the age of players in the top 200 is imminent the number under 20 in December 2014 is a big increase on previous 3-4 years with a significant proportion having a few more years as teenagers.

Who knows but teenagers in the top 100 may become a relevant statistic again by the end of the year.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Didn't realise that this tournament is on the USC campus. Which I understand from former colleagues in a NorCal academic institution stands for "University of Spoilt Children" they were predominantly football fans bitter and twisted and it was before USC had loads of its scholarships stripped for how do you put it "fiscally rewarding their amateur athletes"

That said excited by Taylor Fritz win! For all the right reasons.

This is pretty good news Fritz is one of two blue chip five star potential college recruits in California, the other has risen to that rank despite not playing much junior tennis in his own age group. As you dip into your coffee bowl (thread) this morning and through the rest of the week as it benchmarks the level of performance of Ryan Storrie

www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/jul/08/ryan-storrie-british-tennis-california-brian-teacher

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Oakland2002 wrote:
The US have a tasty crop of 16-17 year olds probably too good for college tennis as I see Taylor Fritz has dispatched the No 1 seed.

A QF is Lining up that we may see a number of times in the next decade or two on the ATP tour.

I feel a real shift downward shift in the age of players in the top 200 is imminent the number under 20 in December 2014 is a big increase on previous 3-4 years with a significant proportion having a few more years as teenagers.

Who knows but teenagers in the top 100 may become a relevant statistic again by the end of the year.

I agree. I'm a HUGE believer in the older tennis player but there does seem to be currently a bit of a swing towards a 'rejuvenation' of the top tier, and that's great. Will make the tournaments more exciting, and all-encompassing.

And the marketing lot will love it : the 'heartthrob' aspect of men's tennis has taken a real hit in recent years - not because the guys aren't potential heartthrobs, of course, but simply that, being older, increasingly they are all married/partnered, have children etc. etc. - it's not got the same appeal to the young girl/women fans !

Meanwhile, Alex and Josh won their doubles 2-6 6-2 10-6 and get 3rd seeds, Meister/Quigley in the quarters.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

R1: Josh Milton & Alex Ward UNR defeated (WC) Connor Farren & Eric James Johnson UNR by 2-6 6-2 [10-6]

*****

QF: (3) Nicolas Meister & Eric Quigley (USA/USA) CR 716 (348+368) vs Josh Milton & Alex Ward UNR

The third seeds struggled a bit to overcome Masters Kozlov & Mitchell (CR 1452) in the first round (10-7 in the MTB).