British Tour 2017

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

British Tour 2017

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Congrats to Ben Jones:

SF:

(7) Ben Jones def. Brandon Murphy 6-3 6-1

(2) Ben Clark def. Angus Bradshaw 6-1 6-3

FInal

(7) Ben Jones def. (2) Ben Clark 6-3 6-1

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Semi-Finals at Frinton:

Josh Goodall v (6) Ben Clark

Ben Jones v (4) Tom Hands

(Josh G beat Sean Hodkin, the number one seed)

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Friday 7th of July 2017 08:37:25 PM

the addict · Tennis legend

Sean was the only player (men or women) in the draw with a ranking (1958). Unusual for a Tier 1. Looks like the grade 2 at Felixstowe next week (Tier 2) won't have any ranked players this year.

the addict · Tennis legend

Yesterday's SF from Frinton

Joshua Goodall def Benjamin Clark [6] 4-6 6-2 6-3
Ben Jones def Tom Hands [4] 7-6(3) 4-6 6-3

And in the final this morning

Joshua Goodall def Ben Jones 6-3 7-6(4)

Mark1968 · Intermediate Club Player

Pleased for Josh but this says all you need to know about the standard of our young players. Or am I being harsh? Has Josh come out of retirement and being playing regularly overseas, I know he's being working at a school down south?

wolf · Tennis legend

Josh is a former top 200 player, what do you expect him to lose to unranked players?

CourtCrazy · Social player

Josh Goodall could comfortably still be ranked inside the top 600 in the world. This doesn't tell you anything about our younger players other than at this stage, they're not good enough to be ranked inside the top 600 in the world.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Mark1968 wrote:
Pleased for Josh but this says all you need to know about the standard of our young players. Or am I being harsh? Has Josh come out of retirement and being playing regularly overseas, I know he's being working at a school down south?

He's played French league tennis this season (in May), and successfully too. His results are on the European league tennis thread. As said above, he still plays, without any doubt, to a top 800 level (or top 600 if you're more positive). It's the same as Dan Cox winning the Quali wildcard play-offs place. You don't suddenly go to being unranked level, just because you may actually be unranked because you don't play ITF events.

Mark1968 · Intermediate Club Player

Fair enough he's played a bit of French league. Ill stand by my comments that young, mostly full time players should not be losing to a 31 year old part timer who was nothing special at his peak.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Without meaning to be disrespectful to those playing British Tour this week, aren't most of our top juniors playing Junior Wimbledon ?

Mark1968 · Intermediate Club Player

Sean Hodkin is a typical example of someone who should be doing better against the likes of Josh. As regards the others there is hardly a chasm between those at Wimby and those here. Worrying times ahead.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Most of these names don't mean anything to me as I don't follow the juniors at all. So I have no idea on the relative standards.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Re Josh, the way I see it is this:

Josh is ex-top 200, he's still pretty close to his prime (he's only 31) and he's actively in tennis on a daily basis (as coach, and playing some matches). As such, he's obviously still a decent, quasi-ranked player.
In Europe, you will see similar profiled players, playing every weekend, and kicking a**e.
And quite a few of the young players in the British Tour events are not full-time either, many have also got studies (and some have jobs of a kind too).

indiana · Tennis legend

Bob in Spain wrote:
Without meaning to be disrespectful to those playing British Tour this week, aren't most of our top juniors playing Junior Wimbledon ?

Of course they are. And given it's been pointed out that Josh is actually still playing competitively a bit, to the suggestions that he wasn't, and the thoughts that he is still at a least WR 800 level, and actually I imagine many of those here are giving of their best and simply are far off that level, it tells us so very little. The shock would have been if Josh hadn't kicked butts here. Actually he looks to have had some rather surprisingly competitive natches.

Not saying at all that the general level of our young guys is great, it isn't overall with a few honourable good looking exceptions in prospects such as Aidan McHugh and some 2001 born guys, but that's not much at all to do with anything that's happened here where an apparently top 800 level player has won a British Tour event.