Week 34 - ATP 250 - Winston-Salem Open - Winston-Salem, NC (hard)

the addict · Tennis legend

Week 34 - ATP 250 - Winston-Salem Open - Winston-Salem, NC (hard)

Strongbow · All-time great

- Heather Watson school of tennis smile

indiana · Tennis legend

Oh yes, on his 5th MP wasn't it ( edit: or apparently maybe 6th )

That looks great fight and persistance today, may it do him the power of good. Well done !

-- Edited by indiana on Tuesday 22nd of August 2017 09:28:32 PM

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

I am breathing again. That was so tense. Forget the points, forget the money, this was about coming through in a tight match. Kyle was a set down but fought back, he was a break down in the decider, but fought back, saw the disappointment of several MPs come and go, but still managed to get over the line. Given his recent 3 set matches, those facts are worth more than anything.

He said he wanted matches this week. Well that's 4 under his belt and at least one more to come. Medvedev has had some decent results this year, so this has been a very good day.

-- Edited by Bob in Spain on Tuesday 22nd of August 2017 09:29:29 PM

Sheddie · administrator

Quality win for Kyle. That'll do his confidence a world of good.

I've watched bits of a few of his matches this summer and compared to the way he was striking the ball at the start of this year in Australia (I'm particularly thinking of the match against Wawrinka in Brisbane where he outplayed him for a set and a half), he's been some way below his top level apart from a few exceptions (the Sock match in Atlanta etc). Seems to be a bit of a confidence thing, he's been able to turn it on for a set or so, but in close matches he's tightened up and it seems to affect his footwork. He becomes more tentative and makes more errors.

But he played some good clutch tennis against Dimitrov, without much reward. And showed a lot of heart out there again today. Hopefully being able to get the W today while not playing his best tennis will give him the confidence to turn it on for the rest of this week and the Open.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Helen40 wrote:
Jeff Stelling wrote:
Agreed with everyone else that this represents a great chance for Kyle to lose heroically in three.
Well he's lost the first set, so hopefully this will be a great chance to WIN heroically in three.

Well done Helen. I think we can chalk this win up to you. smile

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Sheddie wrote:
Quality win for Kyle. That'll do his confidence a world of good.

I've watched bits of a few of his matches this summer and compared to the way he was striking the ball at the start of this year in Australia (I'm particularly thinking of the match against Wawrinka in Brisbane where he outplayed him for a set and a half), he's been some way below his top level apart from a few exceptions (the Sock match in Atlanta etc). Seems to be a bit of a confidence thing, he's been able to turn it on for a set or so, but in close matches he's tightened up and it seems to affect his footwork. He becomes more tentative and makes more errors.

But he played some good clutch tennis against Dimitrov, without much reward. And showed a lot of heart out there again today. Hopefully being able to get the W today while not playing his best tennis will give him the confidence to turn it on for the rest of this week and the Open.

Agree. The best I have seen from Kyle this year, was the 2nd & 3rd set against Nadal in Monte Carlo. But there have also been a number of days when the radar has gone astray at key moments.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

L16: (Q) Kyle Edmund WR 45 vs Marton Fucsovics (HUN) WR 122 (CH 99 July 2017)

indiana · Tennis legend

Bob in Spain wrote:
L16: (Q) Kyle Edmund WR 45 vs Marton Fucsovics (HUN) WR 122 (CH 99 July 2017)

Fucsovics beat Joao Sousa, Kyle's Cincinnati conqueror, 6-3 3-6 6-1

Jaggy1876 · Grand Slam Champion

Fucsovics another solid challenger player so this will be a good match up to hopefully come through.

Jaffa · Challenger level

Fair play to Kyle. Should do him a world of good.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Only six of the original 16 seeds are now left in the draw: Bautista (1), big John Isner (3), Steve Johnson (6), Lorenzi (7), Chung Hyeon (13) & Coric (14)! Sousa was installed as the 17th seed when Kevin Anderson withdrew with an elbow injury, but of course he was dumped out by Fucsovics.

skibbarriz · Strong Club Player

Oakland2002 wrote:
skibbarriz wrote:
I do wonder if the fact that Kyle only picked up tennis at age 10 has something to do with his "it's still early days" mentalilty. His progress is even more remarkable considering he has experienced 5 less years with a tennis racket in his hand than most guys his age on tour.
Kyle did start much later than most, he is not from a tennis family with an elite coach on tap from birth unlike Zevrev, Fritz, Shapovalov, Rubulev, he is not over 6'4" Medvedev, Kyrgios, Kachanov, Opelka or the son of a guy who works at a tennis centre.
He didn't get hothoused in Spain or Florida but has a desire for self improvement a natural fearhand and a decent serve, the only comparison I can see is Borna Coric hothoused in Northwood. It's remarkable he's got anywhere.

I hadn't arrived at seeing him quite like that before. Yes, I guess he is an outsider, the unlikely story. And adding to that list of course that he is British.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

Not a bad win for the qualifier against the no. 15 seed! just goes to show that a year or so ago a win over a top 50 player would be greeted with cartwheels by the whole board. Now I sense a feeling of he should have finished Mevedev in 2 and not to is a backward step. I agree hopefully this is a confidence builder further progress would do no harm and set him up nicely for next week.

These two will get to know each other well over the next ten years as the older players drift down passed them in the rankings.

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Got my fingers crossed that Kyle can get the win today and add some meaningful points to his tally - although that depends of course on your definition of meaningful. So far this week, Kyle has won 4 matches and that will benefit him to the grand total of 5 points. He has actually won 25 points so far but his 18th point scorer is 20 and would drop out. A win today would add an additional 25 points giving Kyle +30 for the week and more importantly, a shot at making another SF.

There is nobody in the draw that Kyle should fear, but there are very few easy matches either. Kyle's nemesis from Futures, our Spanish friend Carreno Busta, was 2nd seed and in Kyle's half, but he went out to Benneteau. So it is anybody's tournament really. Why not Kyle's ?

-- Edited by Bob in Spain on Wednesday 23rd of August 2017 06:16:22 PM