A large British contingent here, including three seeds, boosted by Emma Raducanu and Gemma Heath coming through qualifying. Emma drew a short straw though, playing against a strong local player who won back to back $10K events last year
Boys R1 (L32)
Daniil Klimov (GER) v (7) Jack Draper
(3) Max Stewart v Joao Ferreira (BRA)
Jake Hersey v (Q) Alejandro Garcia (ESP)
Hamish Stewart v Carlos Lopez Montagud (ESP)
Carlos Sanchez Jover (ESP) v (4) Barnaby Smith
George Loffhagen v (Q) Sergio Ingles Garre (ESP)
Girls R1 (L32)
(WC) Anabel Aran Torrente (ESP) v Esther Adeshina
(Q) Gemma Heath v (WC) Noelia Bouzo Zanotti (ESP)
(Q) Emma Raducanu v (2) Eva Guerrero Alvarez (ESP)
Gemma had a real close shave in her first round in the qualis - lost the first set and only won the second set by a tie-break 11-9 (and then, of course, won the third)
But she did well to capitalise on it and win her next two matches to qualify.
Marni Banks lost her first round Q match, though, but in three sets. Tanysha D lost her QR1 match very easily.
Harry Butler also got knocked out in the first Q round.
They all had a training camp at La Manga last week. Almost as many coaches as players. There are a few players not entered and Toby Smith was there, but i don't see any of his entourage in the draw.
They all had a training camp at La Manga last week. Almost as many coaches as players. There are a few players not entered and Toby Smith was there, but i don't see any of his entourage in the draw.
That La Manga training camp last year was a disgrace. As you say, more coaches than players. It was just a jolly. Don't know if this year's is any better - doesn't sound like it...
-- Edited by Coup Droit on Monday 20th of March 2017 11:48:38 PM
It seems a fairly logical thing to do, ie. run a training camp in Spain on clay in the run up to a G2 in Spain on clay. The venue is fit for purpose and not expensive this time of year. To use it as an opportunity to bring a group of performance coaches together also seems sensible, from both a short term strategic perspective around analysis of the players, setting short and longer term goals for development and around more general long and short term strategy. I hope it went well, if it happened, with both players and coaches making the most of an opportunity to develop.
I have a certain amount of sympathy in that every move in development has critics, there is very little doubt that all the juniors (and their parents) playing have made enormous sacrifices getting to the level they are at.
To become a top 150 tennis player is one hell of a challenge, in terms of pure talent on the men's side over the last 5 years Kyle and Dan have been the two stand out talents for me, it has been a rocky road, particularly for Dan but British Tennis now has two top 50 players other than Andy. It is not doing everything wrong. There are some very talented players playing here who have the potential to play a very high level indeed, fingers crossed for this week and the up coming season.
-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Tuesday 21st of March 2017 03:54:14 AM
By the way, I presume Holly Fischer wasn't at the La Manga training camp? Do you know, paulisi? She doesn't seem to have strong LTA ties (unless I'm mistaken). A point in her favour, in all probability.
Not a bad start to today.
Gemma continues to capitalise on her 'Great Escape', winning in three sets.
Emma Rad. found the second seed at this level too strong, not too surprisingly.
Esther won 2&0
A mixed day as only one of our 3 seeds progressed. George racks up another win to take him to 14-1 for the year while Gemma gets a crack at a highly rated 2002
Boys R1 (L32)
Daniil Klimov (GER) d. (7) Jack Draper 7-5 6-3
(3) Max Stewart d. Joao Ferreira (BRA) 6-1 6-3
Jake Hersey d. (Q) Alejandro Garcia (ESP) 7-5 7-6(6)
Carlos Lopez Montagud (ESP) d. Hamish Stewart 6-3 6-7(1) 6-0
Carlos Sanchez Jover (ESP) d. (4) Barnaby Smith 6-2 3-6 6-1
George Loffhagen d. (Q) Sergio Ingles Garre (ESP) 6-2 6-2
R2
(3) Max Stewart v (Q) Sergio Gomez Montesa (ESP)
Jake Hersey v (6) Louis Dussin (FRA)
Alejandro Vedri Asensi (ESP) v George Loffhagen
Girls R1 (L32)
Esther Adeshina d. (WC) Anabel Aran Torrente (ESP) 6-2 6-0
(Q) Gemma Heath d. (WC) Noelia Bouzo Zanotti (ESP) 3-6 6-4 6-4
(2) Eva Guerrero Alvarez (ESP) d. (Q) Emma Raducanu 6-2 6-4
R2
Esther Adeshina v (5) Lara Salden (BEL)
(8) Daria Frayman (RUS) v (Q) Gemma Heath
By the way, I presume Holly Fischer wasn't at the La Manga training camp? Do you know, paulisi? She doesn't seem to have strong LTA ties (unless I'm mistaken). A point in her favour, in all probability.
Not a bad start to today. Gemma continues to capitalise on her 'Great Escape', winning in three sets. Emma Rad. found the second seed at this level too strong, not too surprisingly. Esther won 2&0
If i remember correctly, it was a picture on Twitter on Martin Weston's account. I wouldn't recognise Holly Fischer as I've never seen her play.
Nice picture of a talented bunch of young athletes.
Just a little confused but I presume the tournament is at the Sanchez Casal's academy, often referred to as being in Barcelona but in Vinaros which is half way between Valencia and Barcelona.
-- Edited by Oakland2002 on Wednesday 22nd of March 2017 05:04:01 AM
That was the picture i saw. Not a lot of players i can name other than Gemma, Emma and Esther.
Seems to be a lot of coaches there again - Martin Weston, Jeremy Bates, Nick Weal, Toby Smith etc etc
George continues to impress and is joined by Max in the quarters. The girls took a set each off seeded opponents but couldn't get the upset. For clarity this tournament is run at the Vinaros tennis academy (Club de Tenis Vinaros) The Sanchez Casal Academy in Barcelona hosts an autumn junior ITF
Boys R2
(3) Max Stewart d. (Q) Sergio Gomez Montesa (ESP) 6-3 1-6 6-1
(6) Louis Dussin (FRA) d. Jake Hersey 6-3 7-6(6)
George Loffhagen d. Alejandro Vedri Asensi (ESP) 6-0 7-6(3)
QF
(3) Max Stewart v (6) Louis Dussin (FRA)
George Loffhagen v Damien Wenger (SUI)