Week 18 - Challenger ($100.000+H) - Busan, South Korea (Hard)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

RE: Week 18 - Challenger ($100.000+H) - Busan, South Korea (Hard)

Jan · Hall of fame

Well done Dan!
Sorry for Liam - hope he can bounce back.

edit - typo

-- Edited by Jan on Friday 6th of May 2016 08:21:13 AM

Jimmy09 · Intermediate Club Player

Excellent work Evo, Live rankings say he is now just one place behind Kyle? Excellent to see such consistency from him!

RJA · Hall of fame

stevemcqueen wrote:
His occasional commentary might be a problem at wimbledon....

Dan's always been pretty smart in knowing what he can and can't get away with. I must have seen him get dozens of code violations but I don't recall ever seeing him get a point penalty.

A131 · Intermediate Club Player

Not doubting DE played well - but he was playing against someone who has been struggling and perhaps a little burnt out from having struggled to beat the 2 opponents he put out here. Even James Ward beat Sugita a few weeks back so wasn't surprised DE won comfortably.

stevemcqueen · Futures qualifying

RJA wrote:
stevemcqueen wrote:
His occasional commentary might be a problem at wimbledon....
Dan's always been pretty smart in knowing what he can and can't get away with. I must have seen him get dozens of code violations but I don't recall ever seeing him get a point penalty.

I've never had a problem with with with displays of anger and emotion in sport. I don't have too much of a problem with bad language either. I'd be in deep schyte if you could get penalty points for swearing in day to day life! But I'm not proud to admit that all my kids learned to swear by watching their cack handed Dad attempt simple DIY projects. As for racquet breaking (like Berankis at the end of his match against Dan last week) I thijnk many of us up tight Brits find a vicarious catharsis in that. Let's hope it is Milkman who is smashing his bats tomorrow....

-- Edited by stevemcqueen on Friday 6th of May 2016 09:17:45 AM

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Round-up:

QF: Dan Evans WR 97 defeated (7) Yuichi Sugita (JPN) WR 111 by 2 & 3
QF: (2) John Millman (AUS) WR 67 defeated Liam Broady WR 257 by 0 & 0 cry

*****

SF: Dan Evans WR 97 vs (2) John Millman (AUS) WR 67

Here's hoping the Milkman isn't a bridge too far for Dan as well.

GBJ · Club Coach

I watched the start and end of Liam's match and didn't notice him taking anything off his serve.

It appeared to me that Liam was playing just about as well as he has in any other match; hitting the ball quite well; constructing points fine; keeping his motivation up despite the scoreline (a big shout of GO after winning the first point in the last game). It really just appeared to be a bad match up: whilst he was often able to move Millman around a bit, Liam doesn't quite have the power on any of his shots to quite get the ball past him often enough and when you cant get it past Millman he keeps himself in the rally well. Millman's shots are that bit more low risk so there were just lots of good rallies but too many ending with Liam missing an aggressive shot after seeing 3 or more good shots come back without opening up space for him to hit a winner.

I don't think Liam or anyone else should let this result bother him. In fact there were some positives to take from the performance.

I think the only way Liam could have improved his chances would be to just pick shots in a rally to just suddenly go for broke on/tried to go for more when the court was slightly open - it might have won him the odd game but he could never have done that consistently enough to win.

Spectator · All-time great

Thanks for that, GBJ. Encouraging to hear.

GBJ · Club Coach

Really intrigued to see how Dan will match up with Millman. I think he will have a bit more success than Liam just because he has more ways to inject pace than Liam but I think he will have to play right at the top of his game unless Millman finds something Dan does takes him out of his comfort zone somehow - which I dont see happening. I hope I am underestimating Dan but I think he will have to hit a lot of very good aggressive forehands, not miss much and serve very well just to make it close - if he can do all three he could win, otherwise I think Millman will.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Having seen the Milkman play a couple of times before, most notably against Kyle, his style is relentless. Trying to outlast him is very difficult and you need weapons to beat him and perhaps Liam doesn't have that. The result dosn't surprise me or even worry me, although it would have been nice for Liam to get a few games on the board. Liam seems to be in good spirits despite the loss have made a slightly humerous tweet, so all in all, Liam has had a great two weeks and this doesn't cancel that fact.

Great to see Evo continue in his own relentless manner with another solid result. The march to Rio is right on track. How will he handle the Milkman ? I wonder if he will try and get him out of his comfort zone by drawing him into the net and then passing him. Millman starts as favourite in my book, but with Evo, you never know. Just hope I am wrong.

Spectator · All-time great

Mr Broady comes across as a very good egg. I hope he doesn't let this bother him - and that he continues to have a good next few tournaments. Upwards and onwards.

stevemcqueen · Futures qualifying

I'm very much looking forward to Dan v. Milkman. If Dan can match the level he played at against Berankis, I'll make him favourite, though the slower court will probably suit Milkman. It'll be a good match to watch!

stevemcqueen · Futures qualifying

Dan is first up tomorrow, if there is no rain that is a 05.00 start

A131 · Intermediate Club Player

philwrig wrote:
Another great win for Liam, getting through these tightish matches is massive, and I'd put him in the nailed on category for a Wimby WC now.

Well not surprisingly in my view that would be just wrong. If people seriously believe he deserves (and I realise you didn't actually say this) a wild card just because he wins a few matches against fairly mediocre/out of form opposition then you are obviously not setting your standards very high. I'm sorry that sounds harsh and I've nothing personal against LB whatsoever - I'm sure he's a very nice lad - but like I've said countless times just one of the reasons I would scrap them and make everyone either get in on the strength of their ranking/performance over the whole year (not just a couple of weeks) or go through qualifying. Perhaps you were just referring to the way the system works now as opposed to whether he's worthy or not but either way it should be changed.

-- Edited by A131 on Friday 6th of May 2016 12:37:19 PM