Week 37 - ITF M25 - Johannesburg/Markspark, South Africa (hard)

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

RE: Week 37 - ITF M25 - Johannesburg/Markspark, South Africa (hard)

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

QF: (3) Mateus Alves & Igor Marcondes (BRA/BRA) CR 804 (410+394) defeated Vasilios Caripi (RSA) & Julian Cash CR 1489 (724+765) by 5-7 7-6(4) [10-5] hmm

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

SF: (1) Benjamin Lock & Courtney John Lock (ZIM/ZIM) CR 695 (209+486) vs Daniel Cukierman (ISR) & Alastair Gray CR 1169 (721+448)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Ali G has the first set, 6-2

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

QF: Alastair Gray WR 1015 defeated Alafia Ayeni (USA) WR 903 by 2 & 4 smile

brittak · Pro player

A slight wobble to get over the line. He was serving for the match at 5-2 and had match points but glad he got over the line and joined this mornings winning party!

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

SF: Alastair Gray WR 1015 vs (Q) Dylan Salton (RSA) WR 1473 (CH = 1358 in August last year)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

And another one

SF: Daniel Cukierman (ISR) & Alastair Gray CR 1169 (721+448) def. (1) Benjamin Lock & Courtney John Lock (ZIM/ZIM) CR 695 (209+486) 6-4 1-1 retired

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Final: Daniel Cukierman (ISR) & Alastair Gray CR 1169 (721+448) vs (3) Mateus Alves & Igor Marcondes (BRA/BRA) CR 804 (410+394)

indiana · Tennis legend

Stircrazy wrote:
SF: Alastair Gray WR 1015 vs (Q) Dylan Salton (RSA) WR 1473 (CH = 1358 in August last year)

Reaching the SF will already take Alastair to a CH on Monday week from a very small number of tournaments. Very likely enough to get into the 800s. Hope though that he can just keep on going

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
Stircrazy wrote:
SF: Alastair Gray WR 1015 vs (Q) Dylan Salton (RSA) WR 1473 (CH = 1358 in August last year)
Reaching the SF will already take Alastair to a CH on Monday week from a very small number of tournaments. Very likely enough to get into the 800s. Hope though that he can just keep on going

Absolutely.

Excited to see where Alastair's going in the new few months.....

He's part of the 1998 cohort, with Jay, and Ryan Storrie, Alexis Canter, Ewan Moore etc., which has had some success. But with several off at college, or injured, there's certainly room for some rapid improvement. Give Jay a bit of back-up.

Ali's always had an attractive game, he's a tall guy, and the LTA still seem to like him.

Still remember vividly his great win over Luke Saville at Surbiton some years back.

This move up will be great, if he can get out of qualifications, get a proper MD ranking, and with good doubles, that'll help him too ...

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Enjoying watching Ali live in South Africa - nice stream, blinkin noisy birds though

Alastair is causing the guy real problems with his slightly old-fashioned British game.

6ft 4, he has a big serve, sometimes follows it in, has a one-handed backhand and does a lot of slice, again sometimes sneaking in afterwards, and volleying very proficiently. More mobile though than you'd expect maybe - decent court coverage.

Currently 5-0*

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Whats the court speed like, South Africa often fast due to altitude etc, presumably to Alis liking ?

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

JonH comes home wrote:
Whats the court speed like, South Africa often fast due to altitude etc, presumably to Alis liking ?

Honestly, it doesn't look super fast - there's quite a lot of long rallies here, quite hard to hit a clean winner (but that might be the players, not the speed). But the ball doesn't seem to really zip through.

The other guy is lefty and hits a heavy ball too. Less variety though, and less penetration on his serve. But a decent game - very physical, good depth, difficult to read sometimes...

ADD: Looking him up, he's only 19 and obviously was completely under-ranked as a junior as he seemingly only played ITF events in Africa and basically didn't travel.

-- Edited by Coup Droit on Saturday 18th of September 2021 08:56:18 AM

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

With two aces, a service volley, second volley winner, and a service winner, Alastair serves it out, winning 6-4

The second set was good - the teenager played well, put Gray in some difficult spots, made it more difficult to come in, served better too.

But Alastair's the man

And into the final !