Week 40 - Challenger (€106.5k+H) - Mons, Belgium

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

RE: Week 40 - Challenger (€106.5k+H) - Mons, Belgium

steven · Tennis legend

From Jonny, via Toby, who can't post at the moment:

"Got my revenge today 7-5 6-3. Played well but could have served a lot better. Play O Rochus on Thursday if he wins tomorrow. I owe him one as well!"

Not totally satisfied with his performance despite beating a recent top 100 player, lots of fighting talk - we like it!! biggrin

(obviously Rochus is going to be tougher nut to crack that Malisse, but it's great that he relishes the battle)

For those who don't have long memories, the revenge is for the 5-set defeat (from 2 sets to 1 to Jonny) by Malisse at Wimby in 2005 and Ollie is 'owed one' for beating Jonny 4-6 7-6(2) 7-6(5) in the Orleans Challenger semis a year ago.

goldfish · Futures qualifying

I assumed there would be live scores as with Boggo so didn't offer to text anyone - sorry.

Jonny looked very calm and composed throughout this match. Malisse elected to receive and made a couple of good passing shots in the first game but Jonny served well to hold. Easy service holds to 2-2, with Jonny throwing in a couple of aces and some excellent net play. He recovered well from 15-40 in the 5th game - had been passed a couple of times with shots landing on his base line - by defending brilliantly at the net and with a good 1st serve on game point. Malisse won next game to love, 4-4 and then had a break point that Jonny saved with another volley winner. With serve until 6-5 at which point Malisse helped Jonny out with a DF and a couple of balls into the net but J did hit one very good pass too. First set Jonny 7-5.

Jonny serving first again - 1-0, game to love (inc ace and volley winners), Malisse taken to deuce but Jonny hit several shots into the net, 1-1. Quite noisy from the other court at this time - big Dick Norman playing. Game to 15 for 2-1 (more winning volleys). No first serves for XM in following game and 3 shots hit long to give Jonny the break, 3-1. Service held for 4-1 (inc well reached BH smash, returned but out and an ace). Malisse taken to deuce but held for 4-2 and games went with serve for rest of match. In the final game Jonny was 40-0 up (service return wide, nice drop volley/lob/drop volley and return long) but was passed on match point 1, made a great pick up but was passed again for match point 2 but hit a good serve to take the match.

Malisse didn't serve well throughout the match and had several foot faults. He played some great passing shots but Jonny's net play was outstanding and he served well throughout. I thought he looked very comfortable and he thoroughly deserved his win. Malisse had greater weight of shot but made more errors. I think the Belgians were impressed with his style of play and he seemed unaffected by their support for his opponent. A good win.

Ross and Jamie D watched the match. Ross's doubles is 3rd match after 5.30 on Wednesday. Not sure if I will make that or not.

goldfish · Futures qualifying

OK, so what do I know! The serving looked good to me - not as powerful as Malisse but a higher percentage. Pretty sure Ollie will be trickier - I've seen Malisse lose 3 times this year now - but he's not doing that well this year is he?

James · Satellite level

Thanks for the report Goldfish.

Any chance you could sum up Jonny's groundstrokes in a sentence or two? How would you describe them? Or does he serve volley, chip-charge too often to really form an opinion? Cheers..

goldfish · Futures qualifying

He served and volleyed mostly and got into the net as soon as he could on pretty much all points. I can't say that his ground strokes made a great impression on me one way or another - don't remember too many long baseline rallies.

Can't check this next time as I don't think I'll make his next match - travelling to the UK on Thursday evening and if he plays Ollie it will probably be the 8 pm one.

steven · Tennis legend

Thanks for the report, it must have been great fun being there!

wolf · Tennis legend

Many thanks for the report, goldfish, and that is a fantastic win for Jonny.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

crackign win by jonny

DJ · County player

Excellent report, Goldfish, made me think I'd been there! Thanks.

Akhenaten · Pro player

steven wrote:
Wow

That's a triple Belge-bash for Jonny after he took out two in qualifying, he must be making lots of friends there

It could be another Belgian next too - Ollie Rochus if he beats Falla.

That is a brilliant win for Jonny. I remember listening to the Wimbledon 2005 Marray-Malisse match on the radio whilst cutting down brambles. He seemed well onto the win back then. Lovely revenge three years later! biggrin

[By the way, the top Belgian-basher is Andy Roddick with 14 out of 14 Belgian bashes. Fascinating eh? ]

goldfish · Futures qualifying

Reluctantly decided I just didn't have time to go to Mons this evening given that the doubles matches of interest are the last of the night so will have to find 'live scores' like everyone else. Off to the UK tomorrow as husband and son are both running in the GNR on Sunday so no possibility of going again. Sad to miss a tournament that's only an hour away but this year it's just come at the wrong time. Hope the lads can keep going though.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Really? My daughter is doing the GNR as well.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

No result posted anywhere, so far as I'm aware, but according to tomorrow's OoP, Thomaz Belluci & Kristian Pless are due to play Yves Allegro & Horia Tecau in the next round of the doubles, which means H & H, third seeds or no, must have lost to the latter today...

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

BTW, Jonny's due to play Olivier Rochus no earlier than 17.00 BST tomorrow & Delgo & Haggard, if they beat Moser & Norman earlier this evening, face the top seeds, Mertinak & Zovko (SVK/CRO), no earlier than 19.30 BST...