Week 45 - Challenger ($50,000) - Knoxville, TN, USA (Hard)

richo · Junior player

RE: Week 45 - Challenger ($50,000) - Knoxville, TN, USA (Hard)

Bob in Spain · Tennis legend

Confession time. Thought I would grab 40 winks before Marcus started. 3 hours later, woke up to find we have an all GB QF in Knoxville and a new cult hero.

Great job Marcus. Thank goodness for the livestream replay facility. I will be watching it through this evening, but not until after listening to the upcoming interview.

Jaffa · Challenger level

Can't remember actually laughing that much during a tennis match. He is just unplayable at times, so happy he's proving people wrong!!

indiana · Tennis legend

Great to see from Marcus, this is his stage.

The only slight down I have is that I do feel many of us may have been right in saying that this should have been happening before. Too long faffing about in futures in both singles and doubles and accumulating doubles titles and win ratios. I don't buy that it had to go on for so long.

But, hey, that's the past. Onward...

scottie1 · Futures level

great win for Marcus never saw him in this match on live stream. Seen him Live though a few times top talent of a guy his ranking far too low should be inside top 200 with his game hopefully he can push on realise his talent

steven · Tennis legend

Bob in Spain wrote:
Confession time. Thought I would grab 40 winks before Marcus started. 3 hours later, woke up to find we have an all GB QF in Knoxville and a new cult hero.

Great job Marcus. Thank goodness for the livestream replay facility. I will be watching it through this evening, but not until after listening to the upcoming interview.

Well worth it, an all-round evening's entertainment taking into account both the real commentary and the Sandgren 'commentary' wink

Like Indiana, I do wonder quite how good Marcus could be if he played at a higher level than Futures most of the time (he certainly seems to have the head to deal with it) and got fitter - he'd still be very imposing, I think (after all, he can't be that unfit at the moment to have played and won as much as he has this week - there must be some truth in the 'big-boned' argument!), though maybe he wouldn't manage to annoy opponents quite as much as he does at the moment if he slimmed down a bit LOL

Anyway, all there is really left to say is that I wish I was as fit as Cartman! biggrin (and even more that I had his range of tennis shots!)

-- Edited by steven on Thursday 6th of November 2014 09:23:59 PM

Spectator · All-time great

Nice to have the insights of one of Mr Willis's peers, Mr Richardson - thanks for posting on the board again.

steven · Tennis legend

Marcus: "Got the job done again! Body in ruins but worth it, now for some Physio and hydration... Not beer, water! #chally #quarters"

indiana · Tennis legend

Having watched and been up close to Marcus, I'd say that he is certainly in rather better shape than many folk make out, and for a long time he has dealt well with extended matches.

Still, he could be in better shape as he himself acknowleges. So while it is good to have fun with the "Cartman" business I really do hope that he doesn't neglect really working on this through partly the slight "cult" thing involved just now.

My guess is that he will want more at a higher level and that will be a big motivator.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Great news to get in to :::)))

And these are big ker-ching moments too - don't quite know about Liam (still part of the 'stable'?) but that must be nice cash bonuses in Marcus' pot.

Lots of blue on steven's table - and, for once, most of it is not from Futures !!!!

paulisi · Tennis legend

First up on court 3(court1) 1pm local time. Liam v Marcus

That is 6pm UK time.

Jan · Hall of fame

I managed to watch some of the first set of Marcus's match. His style of play was refreshingly "old school" at times - lovely to watch, not the constant ball-thrashing we often see!
Good luck to both tomorrow - hope it's a good match.

steven · Tennis legend

Coup Droit wrote:
Great news to get in to :::)))

And these are big ker-ching moments too - don't quite know about Liam (still part of the 'stable'?) but that must be nice cash bonuses in Marcus' pot.

Lots of blue on steven's table - and, for once, most of it is not from Futures !!!!

Yes and not from BTs either (apart from Dan C) - good isn't it! A very good week overall.

steven · Tennis legend

Marcus being interviewed now www.usta.com/Pro-Tennis/Pro-Circuit/2014_pro_circuit_live/

indiana · Tennis legend

The "battle" for GB no 10 spot on Monday week has got very tight ( I think and Steven appears to think similarly that Alex edges it on tiebreak ) :

10 A Ward : 128
11 M Willis : 111 + ( 18* - 1 ) = 128 + possible challenger next week
12 D Rice : 133 + ( 8* - 15 ) = 126

* points so far this week