GB F18 - Sunderland 15K.

Salmon · Tennis legend

GB F18 - Sunderland 15K.

steven · Tennis legend

34 Brits started out in qualifying, and they've been doing very well. Ranking upsets in the first two rounds included:

- David Rice UNR beat the Dutch no. 14 Q seed WR 1290 in straight sets
- Joshua Milton UNR beat the French no. 11 Q seed WR 1030 in straight sets
- Iain Atkinson WR 1540 beat the German no. 12 Q seed WR 1056

Shocks in all-GB matches were Dan Smethurst UNR beating (q13) Daniel Cox WR 1205 and Edward Allinson WR 1540 beating (q8) Rob Searle WR 891.

So, there are 10 Brits in QR3 and we are sure of at least two qualifiers.

QR3: David Rice UNR v (q1) Luca Gregorc (SLO) WR 441
QR3: Joshua Milton UNR v (q2) Ervin Eleskovic (SWE) WR 491
QR3: (q3) Alex Slabinsky WR 612 v (q10) Patrick Eichenberger (SUI) WR 1005
QR3: (q4) Tom Rushby WR 652 v (q15) Daniel Danilovic (SWE) WR 1428
QR3: (q16) Matt Illingworth WR 1540 v (q5) Ralph Grambow (GER) WR 685
QR3: Iain Atkinson WR 1540 v (q6) Maxime Authom (BEL) WR 698
QR3: (q7) Jim May WR 882 v Dan Smethurst UNR
QR3: Edward Allinson WR 1540 v (q9) Richard Irwin WR 982

QR3 will be played on Monday.

-- Edited by steven at 14:46, 2006-11-13

Salmon · Tennis legend

Smethurst is pretty good. He has been winning matches against ranked players for some time now. And he knows Cox's style inside out because they both trained in Loughborough.

Feel gutted for Cox.

johnnylad · Tennis legend

I'm hopeful for at least 5 qualifiers out of that lot.

Suprised Allinson bt Searle - is it a great surface for his BOOMING serve?

Sheddie · administrator

Agree totally with Greenleaf, what on earth are the organisers playing at - why didn't they give Slabba and Cox wildcards ! Both won rounds in Redbridge and Cox only narrowly missed out on the quarter-finals. It'll be ridiculous if Willis gets a wildcard ahead of Cox given that Cox beat him in straights last week.

I assume the wildcards must have gone to Bamford [who Slabba beat a few weeks ago], Flanagan, Evans and Willis.

However, on the bright side, some superb results for our top juniors. Rice, Milton, Atkinson and Smethurst. For me, Milton's was the most impressive as Charroin has had some really good results in Britain in the past, I think he beat Bloomfield once.

I reckon we'll get 4 qualifiers. It's a shame that Rice and Milton both have to play the 1st and 2nd seeds [both top 500 players] after such superb rd2 victories. Rice has a slightly better chance but I can't really see either of them causing an upset, maybe one of them will get a set.

Slabba should beat Eichenberger providing that he doesn't relax and lose focus. Rushby had one heck of a marathon match in rd2 yesterday, 3 tiebreaks. He should prove too strong for Danilovic who got hammered by Jonny Marray a few weeks ago.

Atkinson's win over Schoettler was superb, if he keeps that form up he has a chance against Authom who's a clay-courter.

Neil Pauffley beat Jamie Feaver in rd1 before losing 4 and 4 to May in rd2 but it looks like it was quite close. The May-Smethurst match will be very interesting, Smethurst may lack the experience to overcome May's aggressive serve-volley game.

Allinson is very dangerous indoors when he gets his serve working. He's not the most mobile around the baseline which is why he struggles on slower surfaces. I reckon he'll beat Irwin.

Sheddie · administrator

Slabba is 1 set all against Eichenberger.

Madeline, are you planning to go sometime this week ?

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Sorry David, I don't think I will have time, I have a lot on at the moment. I'll let you know if plans change.

johnnylad · Tennis legend

ultimateshedman wrote:

Slabba is 1 set all against Eichenberger.

Madeline, are you planning to go sometime this week ?

oooooooooooh.

C'mon Slabba!

Can you post the result when you get it!?

Sheddie · administrator

That's ok Madeline, same thing happened to me last week. Redbridge isn't too far from me as the crow flies - probably about 45min by car but I don't have a car yet and in order to get there by train I have to go into London and out again which takes ages and I simply didn't have the time.

Slabba won and is in the main draw

He dropped the 1st set 6-2 to Eichenberger but then woke up and won the next two 6-4, 6-4

Unfortunately there isn't such good news from the other British matches so far, it's been a case of higher ranked foreigner outplays GB junior.

David Rice's match against Gregorc was close for most of the first set until Gregorc secured the decisive break at 5-5 and won 7-5, 6-2.

Eleskovic beat Milton 6-3, 6-2 and Authom beat Atkinson 6-4, 6-2

johnnylad · Tennis legend

SLABBA

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

Excellent from Slabba to come back, though he shouldn't really have lost that first set!

Shame about the other results but they all did well to reach the final qualifying round.

Have we had any more results yet?

steven · Tennis legend

Final qualifying round:

QR3: David Rice UNR lost to (q1) Luca Gregorc (SLO) WR 442 by 5 & 2
QR3: Joshua Milton UNR lost to (q2) Ervin Eleskovic (SWE) WR 489 by 7-6(3) 6-2
QR3: (q3) Alex Slabinsky WR 612 beat (q10) Patrick Eichenberger (SUI) WR 1005 by 2-6 6-4 6-4
QR3: (q4) Tom Rushby WR 654 lost to (q15) Daniel Danilovic (SWE) WR 1429 by 6-3 4-6 6-1
QR3: (q16) Matt Illingworth WR 1542 lost to (q5) Ralph Grambow (GER) WR 685 by 1 & 2
QR3: Iain Atkinson WR 1542 lost to (q6) Maxime Authom (BEL) WR 698 by 4 & 2
QR3: (q7) Jim May WR 882 beat Dan Smethurst UNR by 6-7(8) 6-3 6-2
QR3: (q9) Richard Irwin WR 981 beat Edward Allinson WR 1542 by 7-6(6) 7-6(3)

Not a great day. Thank goodness for lucky loser places ...

Brits in the main draw:

R1: (WC) Daniel Evans UNR v (Q) Patrick Eichenberger (SUI) WR 1005
R1: (WC) Edward Corrie WR 1429 v Conor Niland (IRL) WR 454
R1: (WC) Ross Hutchins WR 619 v (Q) Ervin Eleskovic (SWE) WR 489
R1: (WC) Neil Bamford WR 625 v (5) Bastian Knittel (GER) WR 342
R1: (Q) Jim May WR 882 v Michael Ryderstedt (SWE) WR 367
R1: (Q) Alex Slabinsky WR 612 v (Q) Ralph Grambow (GER) WR 685
R1: (LL) Tom Rushby WR 654 v (LL) Matt Illingworth WR 1542
R1: (2) Alan Mackin WR 277 v (Q) Richard Irwin WR 981

Alan got a pretty good draw last week, but this week's is even better! Let's hope he takes full advantage this time. Slabba has struck it pretty lucky too, and goodness knows, he needs the points!

steven · Tennis legend

Link to the main draw:

http://www.atptennis.com/1/posting/2006/3554/mds.pdf

Salmon · Tennis legend

Grrr.... Ed Corrie got one ahead of Cox. I am shocked if truth be said.

Great draw for Evans! A lucky loser.

And full credit to Dan Smethurst for taking it to a third setter.

Mackin has a good chance of making it to the finals.

Sheddie · administrator

Disappointing result for Rushby. Danilovic is a talented Swedish junior and is a flashy player but he's only got 2 ranking points so far, he hasn't beaten anyone inside the top 1000 since June. However, maybe Tom underestimated the Swede, he's got a 2nd chance with that lucky loser spot in the main draw.

Smethurst did extremely well to take that 1st set breaker against Jim May. It's a shame he wasn't able to continue that into the 2nd set as May would have got a lucky loser place but I guess that his experience told through in the end.

Very close one as expected between Irwin and Allinson, I'm slightly surprised at the result but maybe Irwin's superior baseline game told on the big points in the breakers.

Information on both Slabba's qualifying matches is up now on his official website: http://www.freewebs.com/alexslabinsky

I spoke to him this evening, he's happy with the way he's playing, staying aggressive from the baseline. It was a good match for him to come through today as Eichenberger is a tricky player, runs loads of balls down and just keeps getting them back. It took Alex a while to get used to his game. He was 3-0 down in the 3rd set so it was a good comeback