Week 41 - Challenger ($100,000) - Fairfield, CA, USA (hard)

Spectator · All-time great

Week 41 - Challenger ($100,000) - Fairfield, CA, USA (hard)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
Tommy Paul is just 19 and clearly still fairly raw but talented. To my mind he has a lot of upside as has Cam, both should become much more than standard challenger players. They have quite different games but games that worked on, improvements made and more consistency found should make two players worth watching out for.

You're quite right, Indy, Tommy is very young and I didn't mean to sound down on him, he's certainly got a lot of upside.

He's got rather a 'ragged' game but that's partly his age and physique (Lucas Pouille did too and it's looking pretty good for him now ).

And of the other young Yanks I've seen, Kozlov is far more compact (but I didn't think much of him) and Rubin is too (didn't rate him either) and Mmoh plays well but is an unlikable bloke so I don't rate him either (:smle:) - so maybe it's just me ! Mind you, Tiafoe is a joy to watch - but he has a physique out of the norm for a youngster, and Taylor Fritz plays very well in a slightly gangly way (although the only match I saw him play he won rather easily so it was difficult to judge really).

All I can say with certainty is thank the powers that be for the Nike Junior event at the Bank of England - completely free and you get to see all the best youngsters - nothing to beat it !

indiana · Tennis legend

Bemelmans later yesterday extracted at least a little bit of revenge on Brydan by winning in doubles.

QF: (4) Steven De Waard (AUS) & Brydan Klein CR 372 (192+180) lost to Ruben Bemelmans & Kevin Krawietz (BEL/GER) CR 496 (299+197) 6-4 3-6 [10-8]

As Spectator said earlier Bemelmans is actually a way better doubles player than his current ranking suggests.

Spectator · All-time great

Coup Droit wrote:
indiana wrote:
Tommy Paul is just 19 and clearly still fairly raw but talented. To my mind he has a lot of upside as has Cam, both should become much more than standard challenger players. They have quite different games but games that worked on, improvements made and more consistency found should make two players worth watching out for.
You're quite right, Indy, Tommy is very young and I didn't mean to sound down on him, he's certainly got a lot of upside.
He's got rather a 'ragged' game but that's partly his age and physique (Lucas Pouille did too and it's looking pretty good for him now ).
And of the other young Yanks I've seen, Kozlov is far more compact (but I didn't think much of him) and Rubin is too (didn't rate him either) and Mmoh plays well but is an unlikable bloke so I don't rate him either (:smle:) - so maybe it's just me ! Mind you, Tiafoe is a joy to watch - but he has a physique out of the norm for a youngster, and Taylor Fritz plays very well in a slightly gangly way (although the only match I saw him play he won rather easily so it was difficult to judge really).
All I can say with certainty is thank the powers that be for the Nike Junior event at the Bank of England - completely free and you get to see all the best youngsters - nothing to beat it !

It's so hard to tell with the ones just starting out, isn't it. I saw Kozlov early against Josh Milton (all comments based on livestream) and was very impressed - but when I catch a glimpse every now and again, he doesn't seem to have improved as quickly as one might think. But every time I think that, I remind myself that he's a whopping 18. And is within the top 200 and has amazing court sense - so who knows where he'll be in two years time. Don't think I've ever seen Tommy Paul play - seem to recollect he prefers clay? Never seen Mmoh. Like Rubin's game - very deliberately trying to make up with speed and intelligence for what he lacks in height and strength. Think he'll be a Ferrer type - making the most of what he has - and Ferrer is one of my favourite players. Rate Tiafoe the highest, but even there it's been very interesting to see how much he's changed in the bits I've caught over the past two years. Much less unorthodox strokes (sometimes). Way stronger returns. Increasingly lethal serve (sometimes) What seems interesting with him is that he seems to learn and change really quickly.

For that matter, I tend to look at LiveStream when I need a break from work, so just pick up whatever's on. Yesterday it was Tsitsipas playing Laslo Djere - watched a few games in the 2nd set. Tsitsipas has had very good results over the past few weeks in the Moroccan Challengers - finals last week, already in SFs this week. Good serve. Some really beautiful shots and points. Some truly dreadful. If he evens up to the high standard, could be very good indeed.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Great shame Cam wasn't able to give his best today, he had worked his way into a good position to go real deep into this field. Hope the ankle settles quickly so he can build on what has been a pretty productive run.

wolf · Tennis legend

Singles has been cancelled for the day due to rain which I guess at least means Brydan will have a SE for next week?

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Transition I feel is multi-factoral particularly that of outstanding junior boys who essential leave junior tennis to start the process as they turn 17. Their final year of eligibility may have junior slams thrown in but the day to day focus is transition.

Physical maturation brings increased weight of shot, taller players have to do less technically to compensate as their height means they are aiming at a larger court and indeed have a smaller court to cover, so that would give Fritz an early advantage over Tiafoe in that 15- 19 growth spurt. They are the top two teenage American prospects and I feel stand apart from the rest. Tiafoe has more potential but I feel Fritz's background suggests he will harness all of his, who will be the best? Tiafoe's movement and athleticism is a joy to watch but only time will tell.

Once height is established there is further baseline physical maturation around muscle bulk resilience and stamina all potentially enhanced or mitigated for by appropriate physical training.

By being a top 200 player by 18 (as a teenager is the usual benchmark) suggests that your fundamental skill set is so strong that buy your mid twenties you will be a top 50 player. Like Dan Evans, Noah Rubin will have his work cut out his frame does not give him the luxury of cruising, where would Nick the Greek be if he was 5"9" not 6'5" certainly not tossing ATP main tour matches because he's bored. Rubin strikes me as the antithesis of Nick and indeed Dan who is so talented it was always a question of can he be bothered to make it as opposed to Noah who I feel has a burning desire to do everything he can to do so.

Extreme height is a double edge sword and Reily Opelka will have different challenges to his contemporaries having a massive advantage playing the ball above his waist but severely disadvantaged below. Extensive work is required to increase the resilience of his stretched frame, he is better than Isner was at the same age (for whom college was an easier and the right choice because of the resources and generic know how on campus in training tall athletes) and it will be fascinating to see how an enlightened USTA facilitate his development. He will be slower to start perhaps only just squeeze into the top 200 by the age of 20. But I feel after Tiafoe and Fritz he is the next safest bet. If he has the resilience and can stay fit we will see him around the top 40-15 for the next 15-20 years!

Taylor Fritz 1.93m age 18 Rank 71

Michael Mmoh 1.86m age 18 rank 233
Francis Tiafoe 1.85m Age 18 Rank 100
Stephan Kozlov 1.83cm. Age 18 Rank 156
Noah Rubin 1.78m age 18 rank 167

Ernesto Escobedo 20 height 183cm rank 160

Reilly Opelka 2.11m age 19 rank 289

-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Saturday 15th of October 2016 06:26:07 AM

indiana · Tennis legend

First set to Brydan in QF vs Tommy Paul 7-6(5)

With SF due to follow later today he'd presumably not just like to win but avoid a marathon.

indiana · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
First set to Brydan in QF vs Tommy Paul 7-6(5)

With SF due to follow later today he'd presumably not just like to win but avoid a marathon.

... especially as SF opponent for the winner, Quentin Halys, apparently saw off Maximilian Marterer 6-0 retired in his QF, having beaten top seed Frances Tiafoe in 3 sets in R2

indiana · Tennis legend

And now Brydan is the first to be broken in the second set and Paul will serve for the set.

7-6(5) 3-5*

indiana · Tennis legend

Set all, 7-6(5) 3-6

Just go win this and we can bother about Halys later.

thejester · Satellite level

Brydan takes the match winning the 3rd set 6-1. Duration of a doubles match before his SF against Halys. Hopefully Brydan can turn a very good week into a great one :)

indiana · Tennis legend

QF: Brydan Klein WR 329 beat Tommy Paul (USA) WR 248 (CH 191 in April this year), age 19 JCH 3, 7-6(4) 3-6 6-1

SF: Brydan Klein WR 329 vs Quentin Halys (FRA) WR 170 (CH 136 in July this year), age 19 JCH 3

H2H: 2-1, Brydan in last week's Stockton Challenger by 2-6 6-4 6-1 and in the earlier 2016 Binghamton Challenger by 6-3 6-7(5) 6-3 and Halys in the 2015 Tiburon Challenger.by 7-6(2) 6-2

-- Edited by indiana on Saturday 15th of October 2016 07:36:19 PM

steven · Tennis legend

Excellent win for Brydan, who seems to have really hit some form this autumn. He'll now jump about 50 places and from GB no. 10 to GB no. 6 on Monday, in pole position to re-enter the GB top 5 when Wardy's Bangalore points come off.

steven · Tennis legend

Maybe Halys being fresher having not had a long match earlier made the difference this time:

SF: Brydan Klein WR 329 lost to Quentin Halys (FRA) WR 170 (CH 136 in Jul) by 2 & 4

A pity the results were that way round - last week's match was worth 8 extra points, this week's 25.