Week 40 - Challenger (€106,500+H), Mons, Belgium (Hard)

LouieG · County player

RE: Week 40 - Challenger (€106,500+H), Mons, Belgium (Hard)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

And I would most certainly pick James over Brydan on clay. Or James over Dan Evans on clay.

Dan has barely ever got the red stuff on his tennis shoes and Brydan is pretty awkward on clay and plays it rarely.

James v Kyle on clay is more tricky.

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, I wasn't aware that our clearly over the whole year number two eligible player, and one comfortable on clay, had counted himself out by his recent albeit worrying performances.

At the moment, given its clay, dodgy though Kyle's recent form and James longer term form is, the choice as CD implies, for me is James vs Kyle. And from thinking it was looking very much like Kyle, I do think it is looking tricky now.

Kyke probably still edges it for a "normal" clay court match ( though this recent form is concerning ) but the occasion of the Davis Cup Final gives an edge back to James.

The points though re Evo and Brydan's aversion to clay stand and are hugely relevant.

Jaffa · Challenger level

Alex Ward?

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

QF: Ken Skupski & Neal Skupski CR 223 (109+114) defeated Andrey Golubev & Elias Ymer (KAZ/SWE) CR 963 (180+783) by 4-6 6-4 [10-7] smile

Not a bad recovery from dropping their service in the opening game.

GBJ · Club Coach

We are maybe straying to another thread's topic here a bit now but anyone know what the schedules of the Belgian players look like? Are any entered in the same events as the Brits mentioned above. It would be interesting to see one or two Brit v Belgian matches and see how they go before the main event.

Going back to this thread's main topic. I watched the 2nd and 3rd sets. Khachanov spent most of the match hitting big first serves and following them up with heavy second shots. The two breaks James got in the second were both largely down to Khachanov missing those heavy second shots a few times though James played a couple of nice points in the longer second break. The issue seems to be mostly just that James made too many errors on his own service points when he needed to keep it tight against a big server.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

SF: Rameez Junaid & Igor Zelenay (AUS/SVK) CR 154 (68+106) vs Ken Skupski & Neal Skupski CR 223 (109+114)

Not a seeded pair left in the draw, Junaid & Zelenay having just despatched Kretschmer & Satschko (4), although on current rankings, they would have been the fourth seeds, not the Germans, so no cakewalk for Ken & Neal.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

SF: Rameez Junaid & Igor Zelenay (AUS/SVK) CR 154 (68+106) defeated Ken Skupski & Neal Skupski CR 223 (109+114) by 6-7(9) 7-6(5) [10-4]

They went a break up twice in the second set & had mini-breaks in the TB, but just couldn't consolidate them. cry Still not such a bad week for them, I suppose...

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

GBJ wrote:
anyone know what the schedules of the Belgian players look like? Are any entered in the same events as the Brits mentioned above. It would be interesting to see one or two Brit v Belgian matches and see how they go before the main event.

Goffin is a possible R3 opponent for Andy in Shanghai smile

Spectator · All-time great

For what it's worth, Darcis (1st seed) and Bemelmans (7th seed) both lost in the first round ... as did the other Belgians. So Mr Ward actually did better than they ...