Aachen Germany $50K+H w/c 30/10 + qualifying and Boggo v Cilic

steven · Tennis legend

RE: Aachen Germany $50K+H w/c 30/10

Drew · Oct 30, 2006

jezzauk wrote:

These matches are tough enough already on the old nervous system, please don't make it worse for us

But Great win in the end though

Indeed....almost closed the page when I read he had lost....glad i read on....well done Boggo !

My live score / live video didnt work so ta for the updates guys

johnnylad · Tennis legend

Its WAng vs Luzzi now, then Aucks takes on Stakhovsky!

The doubles match on adjoining court was so loud it was hard to hear the umpire but I managed to watch continously as it fitted nicely into my lunch hour.

Great start for the brits on this court. It was a match Boggo should have won, but a huge banana skin. I expect Cilic will have a better career than Boggo, so its good to get a win over him early!

Count Zero · Tennis legend

looks like alex will have a good chnace of facing moodie 2nd round, was a hard draw for him. why the ghell is moodie so low ranked he isnt even seeded at a 25K challenger, what is it with this guy

add to that challnger king dick norman in the qf's (does this guy just not like atp or something hes been playing the challenger circut since about 1975))

Sheddie · administrator

Many, many thanks for steven, stevemcqueen Count Zero and johnnylad for providing all the score updates. It was great stuff and super that Alex came through a tight match like that against one of the game's rising stars.

I was really worried when Cilic was holding so easily at the end of the 3rd but it sounds like Alex always had an extra gear.

Interesting that he came to the net quite a bit, maybe that's something Mike is trying to encourage him to do more.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

the results page has updated with confrioamtion alex won 36 64 76(3)

johnnylad · Tennis legend

Don't know if anyones mentioned this yet but.......

James and Jamie D are 3rd seeds in doubles.

Jamie M is 2nd seed with Jordan Kerr (AUS)

Not down to play today!

jezzauk · Lower Club Player

steven wrote:

I'll shut up next time unless they're wearing different colours. Still, better to think he'd lost then find he won than the other way round!

Indeed, thanks for the updates all the same

Sheddie · administrator

Count Zero wrote:

looks like alex will have a good chnace of facing moodie 2nd round, was a hard draw for him. why the ghell is moodie so low ranked he isnt even seeded at a 25K challenger, what is it with this guy

add to that challnger king dick norman in the qf's (does this guy just not like atp or something hes been playing the challenger circut since about 1975))

That's a tough draw, hopefully Moodie slips up against the qualifier. Moodie has beaten Alex twice before, in 3 sets in the 2003 Surbiton final and in Queens qualies 2005 6-3, 7-6, though Alex was 6-3 up in that breaker.

Both times, Alex hasn't really been able to get anything on his serve. Moodie won ATP Tokyo in 2005 and slipped about 60 places when those points dropped off this year,

LOL, Dick Norman just seems to hover between 100 and 120, never seems to have broken top 100

Sheddie · administrator

johnnylad wrote:

Its WAng vs Luzzi now, then Aucks takes on Stakhovsky!

The doubles match on adjoining court was so loud it was hard to hear the umpire but I managed to watch continously as it fitted nicely into my lunch hour.

Great start for the brits on this court. It was a match Boggo should have won, but a huge banana skin. I expect Cilic will have a better career than Boggo, so its good to get a win over him early!

Are you going to be able to watch the Auckland match johnny or will you be at work then ?

The commentary in the 3rd set was really great, many thanks for that

I agree, a really tricky match for Alex given how out of form he was last week. People seem to predict that Cilic could be top 20, what do you reckon ? From reading the updates Alex outpowered him from the baseline, Cilic won most of his points via the serve or serve-forehand combination and that can only take a player so far.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

UltimateMackinFan wrote:

most of his points via the serve or serve-forehand combination and that can only take a player so far.

what like roddick??

Sheddie · administrator

Lol, Roddick is an exception as he serves at 135mph + most of the time and when the adrenaline is pumping he gets over 145 and 150 and can even hit 130 mph 2nd serves. However, at the top of the game even his forehand and serve are starting to be worked out by top 20 players and not having a backhand is causing him problems.

Sluiter is an example of a player who relies on the serve - forehand combination and hasn't been able to get into the top 40 though he's been hampered by being double-handed on both sides so doesn't have the flexibility and struggles if you get him on the run.

I'm sure there are quite a few other examples, can't think right now.

Actually...Parmar is an example - big serve, big forehand but didn't have the net game or backhand to get him into the top 100.

-- Edited by UltimateMackinFan at 13:56, 2006-10-30

stevemcqueen · Futures qualifying

Wasn't the absolute give away as to who was who in this match the fact that Al is left handed and has a one handed back hand?

The right result, a tad too exciting for a first round match! Al really needs to win a few more matches this week, but a second round match against Moodie is tough. I'm also suprised Moodie is now ranked so low. Has he been injured?

Is alan mackin playing this week? Is alan travelling with Al and Mike Raphael?

johnnylad · Tennis legend

UltimateMackinFan wrote:

Are you going to be able to watch the Auckland match johnny or will you be at work then ?

The commentary in the 3rd set was really great, many thanks for that

I agree, a really tricky match for Alex given how out of form he was last week. People seem to predict that Cilic could be top 20, what do you reckon ? From reading the updates Alex outpowered him from the baseline, Cilic won most of his points via the serve or serve-forehand combination and that can only take a player so far.

I'll try... Might have had to leave for my other job by then... Doing local radio show from 5-7 and have to get there early...

I would say Cilic probably had more power from baseline when Al let him hit his forehand, but Al played it to his backhand quite a lot. When Al stepped it up at the end of the third set he defo started to overpower him.

I think Cilic has more all around ability than say Roddick but doesn't have Roddicks potency on his main weapons

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

Thanks for the commentary and comments everyone. I'm glad Alex managed to get through that match. Hopefully he gets on a run for the rest of the week.