Week 32 - Belarus F1 ($15,000) - Minsk (hard)

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Week 32 - Belarus F1 ($15,000) - Minsk (hard)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Goodness....

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Fab! Wish him well, definitely a nasty floater in the qualifying draw. He seemed to do pretty well in Div 1 at county week winning 8 loosing 6 doubles ties for a Middlesex side that came 4th overall.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

I am stunned. Almost as stunned as receiving a tweet from him today - football related of course..

I wouldn't have been surprised to see him turn up at a home futures event "for a bit of fun" but Belarus for qualies. Is this the start of a comeback or just a busman's holiday I wonder.

Whatever the results he has this week, more than anything else, I hope he is enjoying his tennis again.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

County week to Belarus talk about contrast.

Is he coaching Alexis? Perhaps they will play doubles together.

Seeing Scott Clayton doing so well at doubles did make me think back to where OG turned out with Evan Hoyt in a British futures to see if there was any sense of enjoyment there at the back end of the 2015 summer. He didn't report having any fun but did despatch Scott and Luke Bambridge in the first round. Both now part of aspiring challenger doubles teams.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

I wondered about the coaching Alexis too.

Alexis has been absent for a few months. After having played a lot, in all four corners of the globe. And not having a huge amount of success (although not being a complete downer either). It wasn't obvious what his next move was going to be.

And Alexis's dad hired Josh Goodhall before to coach so there's a sort of similar thinking there.

It seemed to me that it was the most likely scenario (I really can't see that Oli just suddenly fancied a jaunt to Belarus, though maybe, what do I know.....)

Madadman · Masters Series Champion

Looks like only 2 Q rounds. So 3 wins for Oli to get a ranking again.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

QR1: Oli Golding UNR (CH 327 April 2014) def. Artsiom Cherkasov (BLR) UNR 6-1 6-3

QR1: (q3) Alexis Canter WR 1481 def. Timofey Senkevich (BLR) UNR 6-2 6-2

QR1: John Horoz Garner UNR lost to (q9) Nicolás Moreno (ESP) WR 1676 1-6 1-6

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

FQR: (q2) Aleksei Khomich (BLR) WR 1479 (CH = 1421 in June) vs Oli Golding UNR

FQR: (q3) Alexis Canter WR 1481 vs Zhan Skindzer (BLR) UNR

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Zhan Skindzer is a 17 year-old, with no great junior ranking (about 850).

Oli's opponent (age 20) has played a large number of tournaments and so seems to be fully ranked (and also has no great pedigree as a junior).

Two wins and two main draw entries, please, lads.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Madadman wrote:
Looks like only 2 Q rounds. So 3 wins for Oli to get a ranking again.

1 down, 2 to go.

Well done to both Oli and Alexis today.

Madadman · Masters Series Champion

Doesn't look like there was much play today. Both games now on tomorrow's OOP with both Oli and Alexis at 5-5 in the first.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

L32: (WC) Maksim Zubkou (BLR) UNR vs Jonathan Gray WR 813 (= CH)

L32: Qualifier vs Joshua Paris WR 893 (= CH)

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Come on boys, it would be very interesting to see where this goes. On tenterhooks but prepared to be disappointed.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

The fact that Oli and Alexis aren't playing doubles together might rather skupper our theory about a coaching relationship, Oakie - what do you think???