Week 25 - Wimbledon Men's qualifying

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

RE: Week 25 - Wimbledon Men's qualifying

Spectator · All-time great

A really good day for the GB men - and thanks to all for the reporting. And a real testimony to European league tennis.

-- Edited by Spectator on Tuesday 21st of June 2016 05:40:32 PM

RJA · Hall of fame

Great result for Marcus against a player who really knows his way around around a grass court and while I thought Ed and Joe had very favourable draws great to see them both win as well, especially Joe as I had money on him (the bookies didn't share my assessment that he was the favourite).

4 out of 6 through to round 2 is a pretty good return.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

What can be better than a day at the Wimbly qualis, thats free, when it doesnt rain, and the Brits are winning left, right and centre?

To keep it quick, my Golden Awards for the day (men and women) are as follows:

Best Quote:
Marcus Willis towards the end of the second set, to the public: Time to go massive or go home.
And he did go massive, and he didnt go home. Superb win. British tennis is richer for the character that is Marcus.

Best Comeback Win even under insect attack:
Joe Salisbury who played a most amazing second set TB, and really gutsy, good third set, despite being stung by a bee (and a nasty lump came up on his knee). The first set and a half were frustrating, he really didnt play very well, served poorly, especially when it mattered, and the match was there, but just out of his grasp. The Italian served for the match. But Joe clung on, forced the TB and then as above

Best Feelgood story:
Lisa great win. After all the injury problems shes had, and outside the fold, really, it was wonderful to see her win.

Best Physical Phenomenon:
Gabi Taylor she put in SUCH a shift today truly amazing fight and intensity the whole match against a real classic Spanish savvy woman who makes you play every inch of the court. The crowd were willing her through that second set tie-break, the relief was enormous..

Player I felt most happy for:
Harriet she played the BEST match unlike lots who start all blazing and then lose their nerve, Harriet was a little tentative at the beginning, and then started to really take the ball on, really impose herself, it was super tennis, against a Chinese player who was very competent and a tall, hard-hitting girl. Three service winners to finish, backhand winners, some clever volleys, it was just lovely. So pleased for her as shes always impressed me (but dont know what shes been doing this past year..)

Best Others:
Well done, Ed love it when the old guns take out the young upstarts great match.
Well done, Katie B shes always been a lovely striker of the ball, but the injury really knocked her back, I think she was shaking when she won, actually shaking. And she was close to bottling it in the middle of the second, but upped the positivity just when she needed to.

Biggest crowd:
Frat v Harrison

And huge well done to Katy Dunne who left it all out there, has made huge strides with her serve, and couldnt have played any better, really. Just got beaten by a woman whos that little bit better (at the moment). Good effort from Maia too, although that match was mainly on her opponents racket.

Worst organisation:
40 min queue to get in. Why does everybody have to write their name and address? If you were a bad person, you might lie, or has that not occurred?

Nike-you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourself Award:
To Nike (obviously). Their new womens kit is a little white see-through floaty thing, that looks 100% like a skimpy nightdress, and is so transparent it looks like the girls are playing in their underwear (AND the floaty bits keep getting in their way as they try and hit the ball). Apparently, Wimbledon main event has banned it ! (Or insist modifications have to be made). Not surprised. Inappropriate was the word I kept hearing.

steven · Tennis legend

Sorry to have missed Bob - he did the first shift of four hours or so, I did the final six - and CD, I think that's the second time I've failed to meet you at a tennis event simply because I didn't know you were going! I'll mention the forumite I did meet on the women's forum later, since I'm not sure he reads the men's forum!

The only GB men's match I saw was the end of Ed's - the set I saw (the 3rd, obviously) was really good quality and Ed had to play far better than he did to win the match I saw in Surbiton, where he was playing a bit of a grass court novice. He was very happy to win and very much deserved it. twitter.com/GBtennis/status/745265426410659841/video/1

One of the many 'made me smile' moments of the day was when Ed's coach/brother introduced himself and asked for an emailable version of the match point video to send to their mum (presumably because she wouldn't see it on Twitter, though I'm pretty sure she follows me there, so maybe she hides such 'coolness' from her sons!)

I was sorry I'd missed the Marcus and Joe wins (especially the former), but even having seen that the women's draw had been kinder than usual, I couldn't have imagined seeing as many GB wins as I did in the last 6 hours of play At one point, I was at the intersection of courts 13-16 and if I looked left, I could see Harriet, right I could see Katy, behind I could see Freya and, at the time, they were all leading!

I'd concur with CD re "Best Feelgood story" and the "Nike-you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourself Award" (they're strong women, Nike, don't dress them like flouncy little girls! So impractical too, some of the girls had done their best to tame them but it wasn't easy) and not disagree with him on most of the others.

I wouldn't concur with "Best Physical Phenomenon" but I'm guessing CD may not have stayed late enough to see Freya (if any GB girl there is almost certain to make the top 50, it's her - very imposing and the toughest of the GB girls mentally, I'd say, which is not to disparage the others) and I wouldn't agree with all of what he said about Katy's match, but I'm flagging now (and I still have the GB top 25 tables to update and a last run through of a talk my wife's giving in the US tomorrow/today to watch on Facetime before I can go to sleep), so I'll try and write a bit more about the women's matches I saw on their thread tomorrow.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

If any forumites are there today, I will be hovering around courts 13-16 all day where pretty much all of the Brit action will be taking place. And with all the success of yesterday, there will be plenty of it. Feel free to introduce yourselves.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Sorry, Steven - I never really know if I can go till the last minute, and then I tend to skulk in the background.... I think I saw you but it was towards the end but wasn't 100% sure and it was on the other side and you were surrounded by people so I continued to skulk....sorry.....

(Deleted the below and put it in the women's qualifying thread)

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Wednesday 22nd of June 2016 07:52:46 AM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Bob in Spain wrote:
freerider wrote:
Where to now .... again do much up to him. Though I did read a little while ago of an apparent intention to get back on the circuit from mid year on.

-- Edited by indiana on Tuesday 21st of June 2016 03:13:12 PM
A few quotes from marcus here should answer some of your questions
http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/articles/2016-06-21/willis_back_on_track.html

How dare they steal Bob's scoop of the day. I was dashing home to reveal the news myself. Aagh, but what the heck. It is good news and that is all that matters.
Whilst I am at it, Dan C also confirmed that he was going to give the tour another full time go. More good news.

Well, that article's fine and dandy but how can it say that it's the first qualifying appearance that Marcus has earned in seven years???

He played there in 2014. Or was that one not 'earned'? Lost in the first round to Kosakowski. I remember the match well, Marcus looked like a rabbit in the headlights, watching everything around him, and not his own match, playing a disappointing chippy, floaty game, and getting soundly beaten.

Which is why yesterday's match and his 'go massive or go home' mantra was so good to see. From the mid-second set on, he really went for the forehand, ripped some beauties, served his way out of trouble when needed, was bouncing around, and was completely 'in' his match.

Am thrilled he's going to give the tour another go, and pleased that those on the bank (friend?Coach?) were saying that the League tennis had been a big part in his decision.

Good luck !

(NB I would say, Bob, that Hemery got a couple of dodgy calls too - and one on a particularly important point. I though Calvin outclassed Dan S in the first set, surprisingly so, in fact, with acceleration and effect on the serve that just bamboozled Dan. And given he really wasn't moving that well - looked like Bambi, saying 'I'm scared of falling' (in French) a couple of times). Dan, though, was 50:50 in the second, in my view - playing a lot better, and a real shame that he couldn't make it into a third).

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Wednesday 22nd of June 2016 08:10:45 AM

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:

Am thrilled he's going to give the tour another go, and pleased that those on the bank (friend?Coach?) were saying that the League tennis had been a big part in his decision.

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Wednesday 22nd of June 2016 08:10:45 AM

That was girlfriend, young protege that Marcus is coaching and quite possibly ME as I was talking to them after the match. That was how I got my scoop.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Nah, pet, it wasn't you

Although to be honest, I could be having a senile moment.....

It was at the end of the second set, two blokes on the bank who seemed to know what they were talking about - so it could well be you !!!!

spud · Challenger qualifying

Hopefully a very good chance for all 4 guys to progress today!

Salisbury a very good grass courter and Krajicek in pretty dire form up until his first round win here

Cox and Willis obviously in very good form on their return it seems... Maybe coaching is the new training

Steady Ed Corrie could draw out some mistakes from Berrer as A Ward showed recently

Jaffa · Challenger level

Play now starting at 12!

verveandsolley · Junior player

Ha ha, I sat next to both of them for the last set and a half. The young lad told me that he was being coached by him. Just walking in now, say hi if you see me - I'm in a blue t shirt and a black shorts!

Madadman · Masters Series Champion

Ed flying *5-0 up first set.

Jiwan · Club Coach

Ed wins 6-0 6-3.

Joe has taken the second set. One each