James couldn't have asked for much more than this:
L28: James Ward WR 102 v (WC) Antonio Veic (CRO) WR 228 (CH 119 in 2012)
H2H 2-1 - Veic won 6 & 1 in Santiago in 2013 but James won 4 & 2 in Sarasota and in 3 sets in Vienna ATP Q last year - the latter is part of Veic's ongoing 6-match losing streak.
Edit: rankings updated
-- Edited by steven on Monday 2nd of February 2015 02:32:22 PM
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
Good opportunity for James here, how many rounds will he likely need to win to make the top 100? I know there's a few ifs involved but as an educated guess?
He would get in if he matched Evo last year by making the semi-finals. I don't think QFs would be enough since his 18th best is a 10-pointer and that would come off if a higher score went on.
The live-tennis.eu live rankings pages appear to contradict this but they still haven't allowed for Davis Cup R1 points coming off.
-- Edited by steven on Saturday 31st of January 2015 01:20:33 PM
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!
That's the best R1 draw he could ask for in the draw, it seems. Not to look too far forward, but his immediate seed also isn't the worst - could be on worldy form, could have some serious mental fatigue. But first, it's time for James to prove top-100 credentials and make the most of an ATP DE.
He would get in if he matched Evo last year by making the semi-finals. I don't think QFs would be enough since his 18th best is a 10-pointer and that would come off if a higher score went on.
The live-tennis.eu live rankings pages appear to contradict this but they still haven't allowed for Davis Cup R1 points coming off.
No one seems to know for certain when the Davis Cup R1 points come off this year. The may come off this week or they may come off after the first round is played in March. The ATP rules are contradictory.
Firstly they say "Accumulated points for all Davis Cup play over the preceding 52-week period will count as one result"
They then go on to say "Points will be added after every round of ties and deducted at the same stage the following year."
The last time that the Davis Cup R1 was played later than the previous year was in 2009 when Davis Cup matches did not result in ATP ranking points. Therefore we won't know till Monday morning what the ATP will do.
Obviously the token top-100 appearance would be nice for the record books but hopefully James is looking at a sustainable appearance in the upper ranks rather than a flash in the pan.
Obviously the token top-100 appearance would be nice for the record books but hopefully James is looking at a sustainable appearance in the upper ranks rather than a flash in the pan.
Absolutely agree, but I am sure that this milestone is a distraction at the moment and it would be so good just to tick that one off so that he can fully focus back on the task at hand.
James just 17 ranking points behind current WR100 and another 4 points behind a ranking with only 2 digits: here's hoping he can get there this week :)
Obviously the token top-100 appearance would be nice for the record books but hopefully James is looking at a sustainable appearance in the upper ranks rather than a flash in the pan.
Absolutely agree, but I am sure that this milestone is a distraction at the moment and it would be so good just to tick that one off so that he can fully focus back on the task at hand.
Yes, that's very true. Of course, the best way to fulfil both of these goals is probably to just win the tournament here in Zagreb?
Rather belatedly 2014 Davis Cup R1 points have indeed come off.
WR 100 is still on 556 points ( and WR 99 on 560 points ).
But James is no longer WR 102 on 539 points, but instead WR 109 on 509 points.
( at least he hadn't for a few hours thought he was in the top 100 and then been knocked back ! )
Grrr - I wish they'd done that before I assumed that I must have misunderstood their 'clear as mud' rule about this and reinstated the points in the T25 and Best 18 tables, which wasted a few minutes. It's even more of a pity for Wardy of course, though probably fairer in the big scheme of things.
They must have sneaked in some other changes as well - when I looked further down the table and saw that Tom Farquharson and Richard Gabb had (re)gained a place, I assumed there must have been a player who got 10 points for playing (and losing) a WG R1 live rubber last year who had dropped below them, and maybe that was indeed the case, but James Marsalek has mysteriously lost 5 places (now up 11 when he had been up 16 with no change in his points total) and that can't be due to someone else's DC points coming off. Those are the only other Brits whose rankings have changed.
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GB on a shirt, Davis Cup still gleaming, 79 years of hurt, never stopped us dreaming ... 29/11/2015 that dream came true!