Week 6 - ATP 250 - Zagreb (Hard)

TMH · Futures qualifying

RE: Week 6 - ATP 250 - Zagreb (Hard)

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

Just git home in time to read through the pages from yesterday, and when I realised Dan was actually playing...he'd lost. Sounded like a great fight thought albeit not the best quality in places.
So a week off to prep for the next tourney. Nightclubs beware the Evo tonight

spud · Challenger qualifying

Fantastic week for Evo! Wonder if he will sent Stepanek a Thank You card?

TMH · Futures qualifying

Hands up, who thought this thread would go another 21 pages when Dan lost on Monday? Certainly not me.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Darn - missed it. Well done on taking a set from Haas, though.

RJA · Hall of fame

Helen40 wrote:
Nightclubs beware the Evo tonight

I think his girlfriend is there with him and his good mate Maniel Bains is definitely there so yes I think it's probably safe to say that he might have the odd drink tonight.

indiana · Tennis legend

Great summary, Steven, of this week's ATP qualifying Dan vs ATP main draw Dan. And yes, much as I have been critical of him pulling out of challengers in the past ( though he does have this little not disagreeable habit of shoving some critical words in some ways back in folk's faces ), this time it is very understandable.

What a really good level of play he has produced at his best within the last 6 months ( possibly more than even many who had more faith in him expected ).

He is still a quandry in many ways, but this has been a great week for him, ending up looking far from out of place in such a competive SF with Haas.

Very well done.

paulisi · Tennis legend

Excellent week, played very well for a set and a half, but then ran out of gas.

Doesn't look out of place on the tour.

indiana · Tennis legend

3rd place play-off between Evo and Phau ? :)

korriban · Challenger level

Some of that first set was absolutely outstanding tennis. Dan thoroughly deserved to win it.

Dan was unlucky in many ways as he served second in all 3 sets, and only lost by a single break in sets 2 & 3. He had a BP to go a break up in set 2, and only great play from TH pulled things back.

And at *2-3 final set he engineered the patented TH racquet toss by saving 4 break points. Dan had game points in that game too - who knows what might have happened if he had held on to square the set, with Tommy boiling over.

I thought Dan looked very much at the right level today, and there is no question he is a top 50-75 player if he stays on the straight and narrow (but it's, as we know, a massive if), and can hold his own with those in the top 20 when playing at his very best. And I would say he still has a LOT of improving to do at only 23........

One big question is him continuing to pull out of events, seemingly whenever it is convenient to do so (or rather inconvenient to play them). If he plays Marseilles qualies, then this is a different matter - totally understandable. But if he doesn't, I just don't think it's right. The life of a top 50 pro tennis player is, with regret, a nomadic life...........where in general players play 3 to 5 weeks of tournaments on the road (with travel in between), before then taking a week or two's rest............and then back to the grind once more. There was much talk of him being tired at the end of last year, cutting short his Asian trip after only a week or two. Why was he tired......he barely played at the start of the year? He also didn't play in Maui, for reasons nobody seems to be able to confirm. And now one tournament (a good one, but he'll be the first to admit he got a huge break as a LL), and it's another break.

Roger, Novak, Rafa and Andy take breaks........but they have earned them. Players ranked 50-250 generally can't afford to take breaks after a week of playing. I do hope this isn't some kind of pattern about to repeat itself.....

But main thing is......well done Dan - you gave Mr Haas a very good match today, and it could easily have gone your way! smile

RJA · Hall of fame

On the scheduling front we will have an idea what his medium term plans are in a few days time when the Indian Wells qualifying list is out. At WR 123 Dan is all but assured of a place on that list as long as he enters. He really should be there and in Miami two weeks later. There is also a big challenger in Dallas during the second week of Indian Wells which he should probably enter, although hopefully withdraw from due to to still being in action at Indian Wells.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

SMC1809 wrote:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_GB&key=0AsZFvfU3lw0zdG5zOVFKVDk1LTdUUk15UTh2WW11aEE&hl=en_GB&gid=4
Surely you've been here long enough to know of this by now?

Hmmm, well I have to admit, I've only really followed our women, and them only really since Robbo came onto the scene. (Andy, Tim and Greg being the exceptions)

I took an interest in Eaton when he did well for us at DC, and more recently Wardy (since his great run at Queens), and now Evo - although I was and still am put off by having seen him being a complete t****r at Wrexham a couple of years ago, ie making inappropriate comments about gays, and being so lazy Greg had to phone him to make sure he was out of bed.

However, this sheet, (if I ever remember where to find it) will be very useful going forward, so muchas gracias SMC1809.

Jiwan · Club Coach

What did he say about 'the gays'? I used to like this guy but I'm guessing my support for him is about to drop of the
scale pending this question

Robin · Lower Club Player

I think It's a bit unfair to bring up something overheard from when he was barely out of his teens, lots of people say stupid things especially at that age amongst peers. I support Dan and find him likeable and can't imagine that he is homophobic.

LordBrownof · Futures level

He used f****t word on more than one occasion and having witnessed him drunk and loud at Wimbledon last year I'm sceptical he can sustain the commitment or attitude needed to make top 100 for longer than a few weeks. But if you can behave like that at Wimbledon and then make R3 at the US Open a few months later, imagine what you can do by knuckling down. That's what we all hope for.