Week 19 - Challenger ($100,000+H) - Seoul, South Korea (Hard)

Jaffa · Challenger level

Week 19 - Challenger ($100,000+H) - Seoul, South Korea (Hard)

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Jaffa wrote:
Just as an interesting side note, I've had a look at Alex's tweet and it seems he's in Seoul without a phone! Don't know why but he tweeted Abel, his coach saying 'getting used to it'. I wonder if it's a deliberate change to make him concentrate on his tennis?!

... or maybe he just lost it ?

Madadman · Top national player

I'd imagine he has it, but isn't using it as data/text/calls in Korea on a UK number would be expensive. Or he just forgot it.

thejester · Satellite level

Great result for Alex, shot to nothing in R2, nothing to lose
Not surprised re:Dan. Great couple of weeks for him but Zemlja is a tricky opponent and as noted, Evo has played a lot of tennis recently too

philwrig · Hall of fame

Great win for Alex, Freddie tweeted afterwards about it being a major downer, but it's always great to win those tight encounters. Agreed about Evo, Zemlja semi finalist last week, and with the disappointment of not winning last week and potential fatigue etc., not a big surprise.

Spectator · All-time great

Mr Ward lost ... but, to borrow the phrase used by Andy Roddick in a match against Mr Murray, he managed to "keep it social."

(1) John Millman (AUS) WR 62 def. (Q) Alex Ward WR 294 (= CH) 6-4 6-2

Quite creditable, I'd say. Quite creditable indeed.

Good luck in the doubles later.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The boys have lost the first set of the doubles, 3-6, but have just broken at the start of the second.

On the ATP livestream:

livestream.com/ATP/seoul2016centrecourt

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

And the lads take the second set 7-5

AND the MTB 10-7

Some brilliant doubles play by Alex too - great interceptions.

Spectator · All-time great

Just had a quick look - about seven minutes towards the end of the livestream dipping in and out. Very impressive - and agree wholeheartedly. Good job all around and some truly beautiful play from Mr Ward. Really good sense of the court and anticipation. Hmmm. Hope people who matter are watching.

Spectator · All-time great

Not to be, alas.

No time to look at the match, but

JP Smith and Matt Reid (AUS/AUS) CR 377 (163+214) d. Liam Broady and Alex Ward CR 99 (450+540) 6-3 6-3

A good run, though! And the hospitality will have taken them through the week. Somewhat frustratingly, for both him and others, John Millman gave a w/o in the next round.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

A very satisfying week for Alex, i think the key for him and more realistically Liam is to be able to sustain their rank playing exclusively on the challenger tour without having to dip back into the futures tour. A major step. John Millman really is a role model in many ways not least his persistence and incremental progression on the challenger tour eventual progressing to becoming a grand slam DE over the last year.

Although a number of players have developed more quickly than the milkman there is an opportunity given the drastic change in average age of players in the top 100. We should see greater turn over with fewer players spending 75% or more of their careers in the top 100, perhaps just the top 200 as a teenager cohort.

Although Liam's close losses last year were a frustration for him he is still young and it does suggest that persistence will bring experience and success at this level through more consistent understanding of and execution of game strategy. The Australians I think benefit by having s decent cohort of players at this level so very hopeful that Alex, Lloyd, and Liam can establish themselves and then sustain this level of tennis. Dan in the way the milkman has may have to dip back in to sustain a points total consistent with a top 100 rank, perhaps this swing will become a regular part of his itinerary for the next 4-5 years.