Week 33 - Challenger ($100,000) - Vancouver - Hard

Madadman · Masters Series Champion

RE: Week 33 - Challenger ($100,000) - Vancouver - Hard

Jaffa · Challenger level

Dan will play Daniel or Ebden if he can win. As far as 100k challengers go it's a great draw, a lovely 5 points, 13 if he can get a win tonight. Successful week either way. Small steps.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Update:

Kyle, who was seeded sixth & had been drawn to play Dudi Sela, has withdrawn with a shoulder problem. cry Hope it's nowt serious.

L32: Brydan Klein WR 182 vs Austin Krajicek (USA) WR 113 (= CH)

L32: (Q) Dan Evans WR 417 (CH = 123 in February 2014) vs (Q) Radek Stepanek (CZE) WR 283 (CH = 8 in July 2006 - he's now 36)

*****

L32: Karen Khachenov (RUS) WR 180 (CH = 178 at the start of the month) defeated Liam Broady by 4 & 3

GBJ · Club Coach

My family suggested going to the Davis Cup Semi on the Sunday (the fact my wife is there for work on the Friday and Saturday helped convince her). I've just watched Evo's FQR from last night on livestream.com/ATP/vancouver2015court1 and am now finding myself dreaming of Evo making a run here and making the DC team. Maybe a 5th rubber win even. Its a long shot but I like to dream.

goldenboy · Club Coach

Shame he got stepanek but still has a chance and clearly still "has it" at this level

Robin · Lower Club Player

If Dan gets his head down for the rest of the season he'll be on the stage next year. Come on Dan!

paulisi · Tennis legend

Robin wrote:
If Dan gets his head down for the rest of the season he'll be on the stage next year. Come on Dan!

Lets not get too carried away.

Dan's ranking is still not good enough to get into main draw at challenger level and he needs to qualify and win on a regular basis to boost the ranking and to pay his way.

He's had a decent week this week, but he has only collect 5pts and a few hundred dollars. It's a risk playing challengers via qualifying and sometimes you have to balance out the risk and mix and match on the ITF tour.

thejester · Satellite level

paulisi wrote:
Robin wrote:
If Dan gets his head down for the rest of the season he'll be on the stage next year. Come on Dan!
Lets not get too carried away.
Dan's ranking is still not good enough to get into main draw at challenger level and he needs to qualify and win on a regular basis to boost the ranking and to pay his way.
He's had a decent week this week, but he has only collect 5pts and a few hundred dollars. It's a risk playing challengers via qualifying and sometimes you have to balance out the risk and mix and match on the ITF tour.

I agree that there's a certain risk to going through Challenger qualies, but I think in Dan's case it's a risk worth taking. He has the potential (and I'm trying NOT to get carried away) to get a few wins in a MD (maybe this week, maybe not) and with nothing to defend for such a long time, and particularly with Dan's feelings towards scrapping around at futures being well known, why not go for it. He's clearly more comfortable in the surroundings of bigger tournaments, and whilst you would expect him to win matches at futures level, he might well lose in the 1st round there. So whilst I can understand the argument for 'playing it safe' to some extent in ITF draws, I am personally happier to see him going for it at the challengers. Allez Evo!

scottie1 · Futures level

thejester wrote:
paulisi wrote:
Robin wrote:
If Dan gets his head down for the rest of the season he'll be on the stage next year. Come on Dan!
Lets not get too carried away.
Dan's ranking is still not good enough to get into main draw at challenger level and he needs to qualify and win on a regular basis to boost the ranking and to pay his way.
He's had a decent week this week, but he has only collect 5pts and a few hundred dollars. It's a risk playing challengers via qualifying and sometimes you have to balance out the risk and mix and match on the ITF tour.

I agree that there's a certain risk to going through Challenger qualies, but I think in Dan's case it's a risk worth taking. He has the potential (and I'm trying NOT to get carried away) to get a few wins in a MD (maybe this week, maybe not) and with nothing to defend for such a long time, and particularly with Dan's feelings towards scrapping around at futures being well known, why not go for it. He's clearly more comfortable in the surroundings of bigger tournaments, and whilst you would expect him to win matches at futures level, he might well lose in the 1st round there. So whilst I can understand the argument for 'playing it safe' to some extent in ITF draws, I am personally happier to see him going for it at the challengers. Allez Evo!

It is a brave route Dan is taking but he is his own man that's why I like him so much. He if injury free will bounce back to top 100 level

paulisi · Tennis legend

There are various other GB players that could go down this route - Alex W, Dan C, Marcus etc, but have chosen the safer option.

indiana · Tennis legend

It's probably the best route for Dan personally, the one that he will he most comfortable with and get the juices going.

All the best to him ( I can't help it, I still want to see the guy succeed ! )

indiana · Tennis legend

paulisi wrote:
There are various other GB players that could go down this route - Alex W, Dan C, Marcus etc, but have chosen the safer option.

They are different individuals. Evo is not Alex.

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

To be fair to Alex Ward he did do this a couple of years ago with some degree of success qualifying and getting to a couple of challenger quarters and even qualifying for a couple of 250s. He nearly broke the top 300 then had two or three spells of injury. I think he is doing the right thing getting points before going for challengers in the autumn I'm assuming. Dan and Marcus on the other hand seem content at ITF level.

The target for these guys which is possible if not difficult should be to get inside the top 250 therefore Aus Open qualies for 2016.

indiana · Tennis legend

Ah yes, that rather peculiar period when Alex had more success in challengers than futures.

A bit surprised that he hasn't at least dipped more into challengers since, but then he has lately been accumulating points well in futures and rising up the rankings

philwrig · Hall of fame

Have to hand it to Evo, he's managed to haul himself off the canvas and somehow get back to somewhere near his best form, clearly he put in a special performance to qualify here.

As for Liam, he just has to stay patient, continue to believe in the processes that got him up to this level, and use everyday to keep improving, still very young at 21, so got lots of time to get better. Probably needs a run of good form, to get his confidence back up to the maximum, and then go on another surge up the rankings, but it will happen !!!!