Week 45 - Challenger ($50,000+H) - Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay)

thejester · Satellite level

RE: Week 45 - Challenger ($50,000+H) - Buenos Aires, Argentina (clay)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Garin's ranking certainly doesn't seem correct for clay.

He won the French Open previously as a junior, playing beautifully.

However, he's has a lousy run of form recently, on clay, losing in the first round or the second (usually the first) in the last NINETEEN tournaments he's played in.

It's been a dire period, although they were all (or practically all) challengers so it's not like like he's been losing 10ks on clay.

But not good......

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Wednesday 11th of November 2015 05:47:36 PM

nicofrance · Strong Club Player

Congratulations to Kyle Edmund who has surely booked his place in the DC team after getting through to the QF. He has beaten 2 decent opponents on clay and is by far the better player on clay compared to James Ward. I don't see anyway that Ward can be picked unless Kyle picks up an injury.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Bob in Spain arrives back in Spain just in time to see Kyle make it through to the QF with what looks like a solid victory.

Well played Kyle. Making it very tough for Leon, which is all we can ask of him. Form and surface favour Kyle by the looks of it, but to debut in a final is a tough ask. Experience is an important factor too. Personally, I would just go with Kyle, but you could still call it either way.

TMH · Futures qualifying

Spectator wrote:
He's still a youngster! And he's qualifying and reaching the 2nd level of a Challenger ... and in the top 20 of the U20s, according to the (admittedly not always reliable) live rankings. So there's time. I remember years ago wondering what had happened to Gael Monfils, who had won everything in sight as a junior and then disappeared. Got there in the end ....

All that said, I sincerely hope he loses his next match. Sorry, Mr Garin. Nothing personal.

Oh I'm not saying he's not got a great future ahead of him, I'm just surprised that he hasn't pushed on more given where a lot of his peers are at the moment.

Not that surprised to see him beat James to be totally honest.

Spectator · All-time great

I hear you, TMH. Looks like the second-year slump hit him, unfortunately ceasing ... now.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

L16: (5) Kyle Edmund WR 110 defeated Renzo Olivo (ARG) WR 163 by 3 & 3 smile

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

R1 : Alex Ward & James Ward UNR defeated Facundo Argüello & Hugo Dellien (ARG/BOL) CR 595 (215+380) by 3-6 7-6(5) [10-5] biggrin

indiana · Tennis legend

Good stuff by Kyle, but I find it still too early to be calling out our second Davis Cup Final singles player.

These two wins this week are Kyle's first wins since his two qualifying round wins in the US Open at the end of August. Since then he has lost to Yoshihito Nishioka in that final qualifying round and to Brydan and Darian King in pretty poor rather lethargic looking performances ( for whatever reasons ) at the end of September / beginning of October.

On form I'd agree he is a better player on clay than James, though I'd question that is 'by far' compared to an on form James. However, James was for a while very off form and while definite signs of improvement over some dire stuff not too long ago he stil doesn't seem back to his best, and Kyle resultswise ( and I assume performancewise ) has been better this week, and importantly on clay. And James continues to have no doubt changing his prep and on his mind his coach's illness, however that may effect him.

Then throw in Kyle's lack of big situation experience compared to James ( who has played above his form at the time before ), and particularly a deciding rubber would be one big experience, and I would imagine that Leon still wants quite a few things more clear in the next couple of weeks in respect of both Kyle and James.

-- Edited by indiana on Wednesday 11th of November 2015 08:44:59 PM

philwrig · Hall of fame

Great to see Kyle back to somewhere near his best form. As for DC, it's a tough call, but with Kyle already having beaten Darcis, that may sway it for me.

thejester · Satellite level

Stircrazy wrote:
R1 : Alex Ward & James Ward UNR defeated Facundo Argüello & Hugo Dellien (ARG/BOL) CR 595 (215+380) by 3-6 7-6(5) [10-5]

That's a nice win for the Wards. Don't know much about Dellien but Arguello is ranked pretty well in singles and obviously not bad in doubles too

indiana · Tennis legend

thejester wrote:
RJA wrote:
thejester wrote:
No heroics from James today sadly

L16: (Q) Christian Garín (CHI) WR 323 (CH = 225 in February) DEFEATED James Ward WR 160 - 6-3 6-3
It's not as bad a result as it looks on paper but it only confirms my feeling that if he fully fit and anywhere near his best Kyle should definitely get the nod for the Davis Cup final.
I have to agree on both counts there RJA, Garin is definitely under-ranked.
I just hope that James is still a part of the group at the DC, even though Kyle looks the better bet to get into the team. We wouldn't be talking about a DC final at all if it weren't for Wardy (and looking slightly further back, Evo)

If James hadn't won his singles against Isner, I am pretty sure that Andy would have played in the doubles with Jamie against the Bryans and I wouldn't discount that they might have won that ( Jamie and Dom weren't that far off ) and Andy still won his singles vs Isner.

But yes it was a fine win by James and may have been absolutely vital. And given that and his past service ( you're right about James and Evo from previous years ) whatever the choices between now and the final I would certainly want James around and indeed imagine he will be in at least the larger initial squad.

-- Edited by indiana on Wednesday 11th of November 2015 09:02:33 PM

Spectator · All-time great

Think the more vital match was vs Querrey two years ago, without which we might well have been playing in the WG playoffs that year rather than progressing to the QFs. But no one who watched the 2013 tie v Russia will ever forget the role in getting us to this point played by Mr Ward, Mr Evans ... and, of course, the rarely mentioned (except by Mr Murray) Colin Fleming and Jonny Marray (actually, Jonny is never mentioned - which seems really wrong), without whose win the tie would have been over by Saturday night.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Kyle is already a quality clay court player and has the potential to be an elite player on the surface, not my opinion but that of Stephane Robert after Kyle beat him tis year at RG.

James has qualified for the French open once in his career, Kyle age 20 is already reaching the round of 64.

He is on form a real threat to the belgiums a win and andy can have a day off. With all due respect playing James all we would expect is a decent effort, Kyle a win is not out of the question.

goldfish · Futures qualifying

Accepting the fact that the whole aim is obviously to win the final with the best team we have, I think it would be exceptionally difficult for James to see Kyle with a winner's medal rather than him, if he is excluded from the team on this occasion, given that in all probablity, it will be due to Andy and Jamie winning matches. Well, that's the hope anyway, although a win by any other GB player would be a huge bonus. Tough decision for Leon coming up.