Week 41 - Challenger (€85,000+H), Rennes, France (Hard)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Week 41 - Challenger (€85,000+H), Rennes, France (Hard)

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

QR1: James Marsalek WR 641 defeated Filip Veger (CRO) WR 552 by 2 & 4 biggrin

*****

QR2: (q2) Lorenzo Giustino (ITA) WR 277 (CH = 213 in May last year) vs James Marsalek WR 641

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

As an aside, I see that there's a 15-year-old French boy in qualies who rejoices in the name of Rayane Roumane (WR 1015) . I wonder whether that's a Gallicisation of "Ryan"...

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I've always thought of it as an arabic name, although looking it up (out of interest, as you say) I see that it is both a classic Arabic name and also a variant of Ryan. So take your pick

Rayane Roumane, though, I do think, is of North African descent.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Just as a further aside, Rayane won the Petits As in 2014 (first French kid since Halys to do so).

He then went on to make the semis of an adult ITF 15k, while still age 14, beating the WR 353 player along the way.

He's 6 ft 3, already, and has made headlines also by being yet another major young star who's fallen out with the Federation and was/is trained largely by his father.

However, recently the Federation have tried very hard to wheedle their way back into the Roumane family's good books - it's pretty embarrassing when quite a few of your top youngsters refuse to have anything to do with you.

And I believe that contact has been re-established and a programme put in place.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

R1: Fabrice Martin (FRA) & Neal Skupski CR 181 (67+114) vs Romain Barbosa & Steve Darcis (POR/BEL) CR 951 (350+601)

Has Ken returned home to see his new baby, I wonder? Neal could have chosen a worse stand-in. wink I hope he & Fabrice click.

Madadman · Masters Series Champion

James wins 1-6 6-3 6-4.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

It's interesting isn't it being 6 ft 3 at 15 is a massive advantage playing against ones peers and also facilitates early transition to the first level of Men's tennis, sounds like he will have a massive future and good luck to him.

I feel some sympathy for federations having to manage the expectations of not only the talent but also their parents when competition so ruthless and perceived failures so common, having some understanding of the HR challenges of managing talent from an institutional perspective in entertainment the skill set required to excel in this field is in itself fairly elite.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Nice win James

RJA · Hall of fame

Superb win for James, just hope he wins tomorrow or he will have nothing to show for it.

spud · Challenger qualifying

James 6-1 *1-0 down at one point

RJA · Hall of fame

spud wrote:
James 6-1 *1-0 down at one point

James fighting back from a set and a break down doesn't surprise me. James holding serve twice from *4-3 in the decider against a much higher ranked opponent astounds me wink

indiana · Tennis legend

Really hope James can qualify after such a good looking win and yes getting on the right end of a tight one against a much higher ranked opponent.

RJA · Hall of fame

QR2: James Marsalek WR 641 defeated (q2) Lorenzo Giustino (ITA) WR 277 1-6, 6-3, 6-4

FQR: James Marsalek WR 641 v Manuel Guinard (FRA) WR 2063

Guinard is 19 and had a decent win yesterday and a very good win today so I suspect his ranking is somewhat deceptive.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

What a blinkin' amazing result for James M !

Don't know too much about 19 year-old Guinard apart from he's a big serve/big forehand sort of player, who's been seriously within the regional (but not national) french tennis structure all his playing life (academies etc.), qualifying also as a coach.

The FFT site is down tonight for maintenance so I can't look up his results.

But, great job, James - go lad !