Jeff Stelling wrote:

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Good looking effort but the young man will no doubt be hugely disappointed. He had opportunities in each set that you could have driven a juggernaut through.

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 Yes. Torn on this one. Big fan of George. And after his AWOL period, and then injury, it's great to see him back, and playing really well

But there were two important points that he gifted away that really changed things

One at 4-3 in the first set TB - it was a doddle of a shot and 5-3 would have been very different from 4-4

And the same effectively at 3-2 in the second set TB, I think it was

Both really visibly changed the momentum

But it was lovely to be in the crowd, seeing him out there. Hopefully, he won't disappear off the radar again

Nice match betweeen Jay and Quentin too - never quite thought Jay was going to win it - Halys always seemed to have the slight upper hand to me - but Jay did a really creditable job

Just seen a very brief interview with the Estonian player, Mark Lajal, afer he beat the q4, James Duckworth, by 4, 4 & 4.  First time I've clapped eyes on him though I know the name well enough.  He speaks pretty fluent English, but someone needs to take a combine harvester to his hair! 

Halys also through in straight sets (3, 4 & 4) against the Kazakh, Zhukayev.

Stircrazy wrote:

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Stircrazy wrote:

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If I've counted correctly, Halys was one of 23 Frenchmen in QR1.  Eleven survived, three of them courtesy of encounters with compatriots, & there is one all-French affair (involving the q1, Mpetshi Perricard, & Antoine Escoffier) in QR2.  Let's hope Jay does get the better of him. 

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Halys in now one of EIGHT Frenchman who have reached the FQR, nine if you throw in the now naturalised Yank, Maxime Cressy.  Two of those eight face a compatriot (GMP - again - vs Maxime Janvier & Luca Van Assche (q6) vs Lucas Pouille), so our neighbours d'outre-Manche are guaranteed two qualifiers.

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Wow!  Max January has just beaten GMP in four sets (6-7(10) 7-5 7-6(4) 7-6(5)!   

Stircrazy wrote:

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Just seen a very brief interview with the Estonian player, Mark Lajal, afer he beat the q4, James Duckworth, by 4, 4 & 4.  First time I've clapped eyes on him though I know the name well enough.  He speaks pretty fluent English, but someone needs to take a combine harvester to his hair! 

 

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Is that an old pic because he looks about 12 years old.

Bob in Spain wrote:

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Stircrazy wrote:

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Just seen a very brief interview with the Estonian player, Mark Lajal, afer he beat the q4, James Duckworth, by 4, 4 & 4.  First time I've clapped eyes on him though I know the name well enough.  He speaks pretty fluent English, but someone needs to take a combine harvester to his hair! 

 

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Is that an old pic because he looks about 12 years old.

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I think it must be.  I thought the same, but it was the only one I could find in a quick search that showed "the hair".  He had it piled high on the back of his head a bit like a wheatsheaf, hence the combine harvester reference.