Week 45 - ATP 250 - Sofia Open, Bulgaria (indoor hard) - doubles

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

RE: Week 45 - ATP 250 - Sofia Open, Bulgaria (indoor hard) - doubles

indiana · Tennis legend

In the singles, Shapovalov could have risen to race #10, effectively O2 first alt, if he had reached the final but he lost his opening match in straight sets to Albot. So he will remain #12 behind Berrettini and Monfils.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Our mens doubles players in 2020:

Dom - Won New York, RU Montpellier both ATP250
Luke - Won Auckland, RU Delray Beach, both ATP 250
Ken - None (last ATP final May 2019)
Jonny - RU Chile ATP 250
Jamie/Neal - RU Cinci (ATP1000), Vienna (ATP500)
Joe - Won Australian Open (GS).

Although all have done something, it feels like 8 final appearances is meagre pickings and it is post lockdown where we don't seem to have come out of the traps as a group - Jamie and Neal excepted, to be fair.

It looks like Dom, Luke, Ken, Jonny have all split with their season long partners towards the end of the year - no sign of who each of them may play with next year yet, this weeks partnership of Jonny and Ken might be interesting but hard to see it enduring, I would have thought Jonny would want someone that might commit to longer, hard to see Ken doing more than one more season, and Dom may not play much more than that?

Looking at results, for Jonny and Luke, that is their respective best pairing in terms of results. I get the impression they don't really get on (was it that Mike Cation podcast a year or two back?) so presumably wont try again.

I also wonder, will Jamie and Neal continue? The second half results may suggest so, but overall I don't think for Jamie it has taken him on at all from Bruno and for Neal, although his ranking has risen to new heights, I wonder if he also may look for a new partner? I sort of feel Jamie and Andy may make this their season next year, if things get back to something like normal, I still doubt Andy will get back to singles properly and may want that last hurrah in doubles, with Jamie. So could Neal also be looking out for someone? Luke and Jonny are too low for him now, he would want someone around his own rankings, certainly no lower than 30 or so, and maybe even just in top 20...perhaps one of the Americans would work for him, even a committed Jack Sock might work as they did ok in WTT together, I think...

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Looking at our singles players, I see OpenEra rankings have an actual 2020 only rankings table ie the Race as it would have been, which is useful.

Of our top players:

Jack - 269 (UK Futures events in Feb is his main points tally)

Jay - 268 (Burnie in Feb his main counter)

James Ward - 252 (rennes early in Feb gained most of his points)

Andy - would have been 164th based on this season alone, so a fall back from where he actually is.
Laim - 139th on the year, shows how well he has done in the past few weeks. 100 points or so short of top 100 in the year, possibly do able by year end, if he continues his form, although maybe unlikely
Cam - 83rd , so again, a not so strong year overall for Cam compared to his actual ranking. Not really broken through anywhere at all although improved since season started again in Autumn
Kyle - 57th, again lower than his ranking, reflecting a disappointing season overall, despite winning New York
Dan - 21st and only 20 points off the top 20, so a strong season for dan - ATP500 or 750 (ATP Cup) seem to be his space right now, reflecting this ranking)

At the top of the tree, Caspar Ruud of Norway is 11th and Christian Garin (Chile) 13th . federer is 28th overall

-- Edited by JonH comes home on Wednesday 11th of November 2020 12:04:31 AM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Jamie and Neal are 6-4 4-2 ahead and looking ok against Albot and Sitak. A win here wont change much, they will still need to win the event I think, but at least it keeps them in it.

ERV and Melzer will be on next assuming Jamie and Neal finish this off

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

QF: (2) Jamie Murray & Neal Skupski CR 51 (24+27) defeated Radu Albot & Artem Sitak (MDA/NZL) CR 208 (130+78) by 4 & 2

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Good, good. Time for Ken and Jonny to do Neal and Jamie a big favour now! Big match coming up against ERV and Melzer

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Jonny and Ken lose first 6-4. Not over yet.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
Time for Ken and Jonny to do Neal and Jamie a big favour now! Big match coming up against ERV and Melzer

No such luck:

QF: (1) Jürgen Melzer & Edouard Roger-Vasselin (AUT/FRA) CR 46 (29+17) defeated Jonny O'Mara & Ken Skupski CR 115 (58+57) by 4 & 2 cry

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Oh, well. If JM and ERV win their semi (versus Cilic and Brkic) then they are home and dry. Cilic is clearly a good player but in poor form so hard to tell but JM and ERV must be decent favourites for that one

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Jamie and neal play martin and Nys in the semis. Should win. Bit erv and Melzer play friday so wont know until then where things stand. Final saturday for both pairs and then o2 sunday!

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

SF: Fabrice Martin & Hugo Nys (FRA/MON) CR 92 (25+67) vs (2) Jamie Murray & Neal Skupski CR 51 (24+27)

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

matchpoints slipping away for Jamie and Neal!, 3 lost and into a 2nd set tb. 7-6 6-6

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

and 2nd set goes to the French players. MTB now. Servers swapped for Neal and Jamie as well, although not sure who has taken the lead

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

ok, Jamie stepped up and took the first serves. Experience presumably or maybe Neal was strugglng