Week 16 - Challenger (€42,500) - Vercelli, Italy - red clay

emma · Strong Club Player

RE: Week 16 - Challenger (€42,500) - Vercelli, Italy - red clay

freerider · Futures level

Stircrazy wrote:
Kyle is now the highest seed left in the draw, Sijsling (3) having gone out to the Italian WC, Quinzi, by 2 & 5 & Brown (2) to Lamasine by 4-6 6-3 3-6!

Why does the name lamasine ring a bell? has he recently played a brit? Good luck to kyle today

Jan · Hall of fame

Good luck to Kyle - I will be out for his match unless there's a delay or it goes on for a long while!

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

freerider wrote:
Stircrazy wrote:
Kyle is now the highest seed left in the draw, Sijsling (3) having gone out to the Italian WC, Quinzi, by 2 & 5 & Brown (2) to Lamasine by 4-6 6-3 3-6!
Why does the name lamasine ring a bell? has he recently played a brit? Good luck to kyle today

Kyle beat Lamasine earlier this year, in Australia, I think.

He's another clay guy, a little older than Hamou (22, I think) and a little further along the path but again, not doing anything spectacular but definitely not to be under-rated.

Worth pointing out, maybe, the huge success of the French federation in getting ethnic minority (or ethnically mixed) players involved in tennis, Hamou and Lamasine being just two examples of a LONG list. It's a marked shift - a very sizeable percentage of the new best under 23s. Which is brilliant. Although, interestingly, it's only noticeable amongst the men. Yannick Noah influence?, or Tsonga/Monfils? or just coincidence? But credit to them.

vohor · Grand Slam Champion

Well done yesterday Kyle & GL today :)

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Coup Droit, how have the French done it, we appear to be missing a trick!

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Kyle on court for the warm up and the good news is that the live stream is working.

livestream.com/ATP/vercelli2015centrecourt

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

When I saw Marcora play Evo in Marseille last year, he tended to just go for his shots. Not expecting too many long rallies today.

Kyle breaks in the opening game. *1-0

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

All down hill since then though as Marcora leads *3-1

James · Satellite level

Kyle now trailing 1-3*

Marcora is definitely an all or nothing player tho, so peaks and plateaus are probably to be expected in this one.

James · Satellite level

Back on serve.. Kyle *2-3

Virtually every game so far has gone to 30-30 or deuce. And aside from the previous game Marcora has been coming up with some big shots when it has mattered. Kyle just needs to stay patient...

James · Satellite level

Back off serve.. Kyle 2-4*

At 30-30 Marcora produced a BH DTL winner from nowhere - only just clipping the outside of the line judging by Kyle's reaction. Interesting player to watch!

James · Satellite level

Another break: Kyle *3-4

Interesting point at 0-15. Marcora missed a first serve by about 5ft, produced a second serve with so much topspin that Kyle only just got his racquet to it and then completely missed Kyle's high, loopy, centre-court return.

And it appears that Kyle has just taken a medical timeout..

James · Satellite level

A very short lived one though. So hopefully nothing too serious

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Technically back on serve with Kyle at *3-4. But with 6 breaks in 7 games, it would be more accurate to say that Marcora is up a hold.

Interesting point with Marcora serving at *4-2 0-15. Kyle hits a loopy backhand return which simply bounces over Marcora's head and he can't lay a racket on it.